WALES

Departmental Staff

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff are employed in the Wales Office; how many there were in 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: Staff numbers for the Wales Office, since its establishment on 1 July 1999, are shown in table 5.7 of the Wales Office Annual Report 2004 (Cm 6228), a copy of which can be obtained from the Library of the House.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Bexley Council (Asset Sales)

Derek Conway: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will investigate the process by which Bexley council proposes to dispose of the North Cray school site in Sidcup to London and Quadrant.

Phil Hope: Disposal of land by local authorities is governed by section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972. Authorities have discretion to dispose of land in any manner they wish. The First Secretary of State, my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's only power is to grant or withhold consent where authorities wish to dispose of land at less than the best consideration reasonably obtainable and the proposed disposal falls outside the scope of the General Disposal Consent in ODPM Circular 06/2003. There are no statutory powers available to launch an investigation into the disposal process used in any specific case. If an individual feels the correct procedures have not been followed the best course of action would be to approach the Local Government Ombudsman.

Canvey Island (Housing)

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many additional houses he anticipates will be built on Canvey Island over the next 10 years; and how many school-age children he estimates will live in those houses.

Keith Hill: It will be for Castle Point borough council, as the local planning authority, to decide how many homes should be built on Canvey Island once the Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England has been issued. It will also fall to the local authorities to consider how many school-age children are likely to live in any additional Canvey Island housing, having regard to local demography, types of housing to be provided and local educational standards.

Care Homes

Sue Doughty: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many local authority run care home beds there were in Surrey in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.
	The table shows the number of local authority staffed care home places in Surrey, as at 31 March for the years 1997 to 2001.
	
		Number of local authority staffed care home places in Surrey at 31 March, 1997 to 2001
		
			  Rounded numbers 
			  Number of places 
		
		
			 1997 1,760 
			 1998 970 
			 1999 860 
			 2000 860 
			 2001 520 
		
	
	Source:
	RA.
	I understand from the chair of the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI) that figures for later years were collected by the National Care Standards Commission, and now CSCI, but comparable details are not available.

Deprived Wards (Weston-super-Mare)

Brian Cotter: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the (a) score and (b) rank are for each of the wards in Weston-super-Mare according to the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2004 for each of (i) the seven domain indices, (ii) the sub-domains and (iii) the two supplementary indices.

Phil Hope: The Index of Multiple Deprivation (2004) is based on Super Output Areas (SOAs) rather than wards. SOAs are geographical units which are based on consistent areas of between 1,000 to 3,000 people. They are designed to measure small areas more effectively and to be consistent over time. Tables which show each of the wards in Weston-super-Mare and each of the Super Output Areas which make up these wards have been made available in the Library of the House. The scores and ranks of these SOAs are given as requested. In the ranks, 1 is most deprived. One of the Super Output Areas, in Wrington, is partially in this ward and partially in the adjacent ward. This SOA is included.

Disabled Facilities Grant Programme

Sue Doughty: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to abolish the means testing of the disabled facilities grant for the parents of disabled children in England.

Phil Hope: The Government are sympathetic to the difficult situation faced by families with disabled children, and announced a review of the operation of the DFG programme on 5 January 2004. In answer to a parliamentary question in the other place, the right hon. Lord Rooker said that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, jointly with the Department of Health will be reviewing the disabled facilities grant programme, in the context of the Spending Review 2004. A number of financial and policy issues affecting the programme, including the operation of the means test and the maximum grant limit will be evaluated.

Energy Efficiency

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many (a) pensioners and (b) other people have received help to insulate their homes in York in each year since 1997.

Keith Hill: The information requested is not collected centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing

Llew Smith: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the cost of bringing hard to heat homes in the current housing stock up to standards described in his programme for decent homes.

Keith Hill: The Government and their partners are exploring the most effective means of improving the energy efficiency of hard-to-heat homes in different circumstances, for example where gas supplies are not available or where construction precludes the installation of traditional cost-effective insulation measures. This work is being pursued in the wider context of progress against the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy.

Housing

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many new (a) social rented and (b) affordable homes have been provided in York in each year since 1997.

Keith Hill: The number of new registered social landlord dwellings for rent and low cost home ownership dwellings that have been built within York, as reported by the Housing Corporation, are tabled as follows:
	
		
			  Registered social landlord dwellings for rent Low cost home ownership dwellings(1) 
		
		
			 1997–98 101 14 
			 1998–99 0 0 
			 1999–2000 155 6 
			 2000–01 119 28 
			 2001–02 50 3 
			 2002–03 29 1 
			 2003–04 35 12 
		
	
	(1) May include some refurbishment of existing dwellings

Leasehold Property Sales

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to allow the purchase of leasehold property, especially under Right to Buy, by Muslims on the same or a similar basis to freehold, who want to take advantage of the Budget provisions to allow purchase of property without the payment of interest and double stamp duty.

Keith Hill: The Government are aware of the barriers faced by social tenants who wish to use Sharia'a compliant loan finance packages to purchase their homes under the Right to Buy and Right to Acquire schemes. These barriers exist in respect of both freehold and leasehold sales. To address them, the Government are considering ways of facilitating the sale of social homes to such tenants on voluntary terms. It intends to issue proposals for consultation soon.

Millennium Dome

Bob Spink: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the schedule of maintenance and repairs for the Millennium Dome.

Keith Hill: The dome has been maintained under the terms of the contracts with MDL and Anschutz in order to hand over the dome for the construction of the arena and surrounding waterfront development. It has also been maintained sufficiently to enable it to be hired for short-term events in order to mitigate running costs.
	The planned preventative maintenance regime that has been adopted covers the following categories of maintenance: fabric and supporting steelwork; air management system; water and drainage systems; services and plant; lighting; CCTV; voice alarm; fire alarm; landscaping; perimeter fence; and operational buildings required.

Regional Assemblies

Ann Winterton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the proposed (a) question and (b) preamble on the ballot paper for the referendum on a regional assembly in the North East of England; and what assessment he has made of the Electoral Commission's statement on the proposed referendum question.

Nick Raynsford: The form of the question and preamble on the ballot paper for the referendum on a regional assembly in the North East is prescribed by the Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Act 2003(a) . The question was amended during the passage of the Act to take account of the Electoral Commission's comments and those of others.

Unauthorised Roadside Sales

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will introduce additional measures to enable local authorities more easily (a) to prosecute owners of vehicles and (b) to remove vehicles which are placed for sale on the highway; and if he will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	Defra is currently consulting through it's 'Clean Neighbourhoods' document on a raft of measures that will improve the suite of powers available to local authorities in the management of our local environment. These would be taken forward once a suitable legislative opportunity arises. The document includes proposed measures on nuisance vehicles.
	The proposal is to create a definition of 'nuisance' vehicle that would include vehicles that were detrimental to the amenity of an area or causing a nuisance. Local authorities would have the power to remove these vehicles immediately and recover the costs of doing so. It would become a prosecutable offence for being responsible for such a vehicle.
	What constitutes a nuisance or detrimental to the amenity of an area would be clarified in regulations and will be subject to the results of the consultation. Vehicles which are placed on the highway for sale is being considered as part of this process.

Unauthorised Roadside Sales

Bob Russell: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what legislation is available to local authorities (a) to prosecute owners of vehicles and (b) to remove vehicles which are placed for sale on the highway; and if he will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: I have been asked to reply.
	Legislative powers available to local authorities currently cover vehicles that are abandoned. The Government recognises the link between abandoned vehicles and other irresponsible or inconsiderate vehicle ownership and is looking to give local authorities more powers to deal with these issues.
	Defra is currently consulting through it's 'Clean Neighbourhoods' document on a raft of measures that will improve the suite of powers available to local authorities in the management of our local environment. These would be taken forward once a suitable legislative opportunity arises. The document includes proposed measures on nuisance vehicles.
	The proposal is to create a definition of 'nuisance' vehicle that would include vehicles that are detrimental to the amenity of an area or causing a nuisance. Local authorities would have the power to remove these vehicles immediately and recover the costs of doing so. It would become a prosecutable offence for being responsible for such a vehicle.
	What constitutes a nuisance or detrimental to the amenity of an area would be clarified in regulations and will be subject to the results of the consultation. Vehicles which are placed on the highway for sale is being closely considered as part of this process.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Pre-trial Reviews

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Solicitor General what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of pre-trial reviews in the magistrates courts.

Harriet Harman: Service has played an active, collaborative part in the Effective Trial Management Programme (ETMP), an initiative involving criminal justice agencies, and the judiciary, to plan, design and introduce non-legislative case management reforms heralded in the Government's White Paper, Justice for All.
	During 2003, ETMP has tested a range of improvements to the pre-trial process in six criminal justice areas. These have included measures designed to ensure that pre-trial hearings in the magistrates' courts are held only where necessary to progress a case to an effective trial.
	For example, in Essex, the first Area to introduce changes to the management of magistrates' courts cases, almost all contested cases are progressed outside of formal court hearings by case progression officers based in the courts, the CPS, and the police, working with the local judiciary, and a named contact for the defence.
	There has been an independent evaluation of the changes introduced in Essex, which has calculated that this process change could result in a saving of 8,640 hearings in a year, leading to more efficient utilisation of courtroom time; a decrease in ineffective trials; and improved timeliness. Other test areas have introduced similar changes.
	Guidance on how cases might be managed most effectively and efficiently from pre-charge through to conclusion, including the good practice and learning points from the ETMP test areas, is now contained within the Criminal Case Management Framework (CCMF). The Lord Chief Justice, the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor, the Attorney General and Baroness Scotland jointly issued the Framework on 21 July 2004. It states that "hearings before the court may take place if there is a material failure likely to affect the proper progress of the case. "
	All other remaining criminal justice areas are now planning, designing or implementing similar changes to the process.

TREASURY

Acceptance in Lieu

Boris Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) museum quality and (b) pre-eminent objects were granted conditional exemption by the Acceptance in Lieu Panel in each year since 1994.

Dawn Primarolo: Conditional exemption is granted or refused by the Inland Revenue rather than by the Acceptance in Lieu Panel. Exemption depends on the making of an acceptable undertaking in relation to preservation and access as well as on the standard of quality referred to in the question. The Inland Revenue have taken advice on quality from the Acceptance in Lieu Panel in cases where pre-eminent quality is required, following the changes in Finance Act 1998; prior to that the Inland Revenue sought advice directly from appropriate experts.
	The available information is as follows: the figures show the number of objects or groups which remain exempt, net of the relatively small number of cases where relief given in the years shown has, subsequently been withdrawn, e.g. following a sale. The year shown is the year in which the exemption claims were finally granted and not the year of death or other transfer which determines the quality standard applicable to the claim.
	
		
			  Number of objects or groups of objects 
			 Year Museum Quality Pre-eminent 
		
		
			 1994–95 3,525 — 
			 1995–96 7,651 — 
			 1996–97 1,406 — 
			 1997–98 3,135 — 
			 1998–99 4,085 — 
			 1999–00 2,690 — 
			 2000–01 7,101 14 
			 2001–02 1,395 36 
			 2000–03 3,067 61 
			 2003–04 1,060 700 
			 2004–05 (to date) — 99

Acceptance in Lieu

Boris Johnson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of (a) museum quality and (b) pre-eminent objects considered by the Acceptance in Lieu Panel were granted conditional exemption in each year since 1994.

Dawn Primarolo: The Acceptance in Lieu Panel have assessed the quality of objects which were subject to the "pre-eminent" test laid down by Finance Act 1998. Objects subject to the previous test were referred by the Inland Revenue directly to appropriate experts. Formal assessment of quality is the last substantive step in processing a claim, and apart from cases currently being finalised all cases which have reached the relevant quality standard have been granted exemption. The information available for cases rejected by the Revenue's advisers is as follows.
	All cases considered up to and including 1999–2000 were subject to the quality standard applicable prior to Finance Act 1998; the split of rejected cases in subsequent; years between that standard and the pre-eminent standard required by Finance Act 1998 is not readily obtainable from the records available.
	
		
			  Proportion rejected by value 
			 Year Percentage 
		
		
			 1994–95 0.2 
			 1995–96 0.2 
			 1996–97 0.5 
			 1997–98 0.4 
			 1998–99 1.3 
			 1999–00 0.9 
			 2000–01 0.2 
			 2001–02 0.8 
			 2002–03 3.0 
			 2003–04 0.4 
			 2004–05 (to date) 6.9

Employment (Yorkshire)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) men and (b) women were in work in (i) City of York parliamentary constituency, (ii) City of York Council area and (iii) Yorkshire and the Humber in (A) May 1997 and (B) each May since then.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Hugh Bayley, dated 16 September 2004
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many (a) men and (b) women were in work in (i) City of York Parliamentary Constituency, (ii) City of York Council area and (iii) Yorkshire and the Humber in (A) May 1997 and (B) each year since. I am replying in his absence. (188954)
	The attached table gives the estimates of people in employment by gender in the City of York Parliamentary Constituency, York Unitary Authority and Yorkshire & Humberside region for the twelve months ending February each year from 1997 to 2004.
	As with any statistical sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) are subject to sampling variability. In particular, for smaller areas such as York Parliamentary Consistency, changes in the estimates from year to year may arise from sampling fluctuations and the pattern of change over a run of years should be considered rather than changes in individual years.
	
		People in employment by gender in the City of York parliamentary constituency, York Unitary Authority and Yorkshire and Humberside region; 12 months ending February each year; not seasonally adjusted -- Thousand
		
			  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 All persons
			 City of York PCA 44 45 48 45 51 51 54 
			 York UA 83 77 83 83 93 93 93 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 2,151 2,170 2,212 2,211 2,259 2,265 2,280 
			 
			 Male
			 City of York PCA 22 24 28 25 27 28 29 
			 York UA 44 43 45 44 49 49 50 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 1,163 1,178 1,202 1,197 1,208 1,221 1,233 
			 
			 Female
			 City of York PCA 22 21 20 20 24 24 25 
			 York UA 39 34 38 39 44 43 43 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 988 993 1,010 1,014 1,051 1,044 1,047 
		
	
	Source:
	ONS—Labour Force Survey.

Allergy Relief Products

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what the VAT rate on allergy relief products was in each year between 1974 and 1996; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will apply a zero VAT rate on allergy relief products; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Allergy relief products prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a registered pharmacist have been VAT zero-rated since VAT was introduced in 1973.
	Allergy relief products administered to patients in the course of medical care or treatment in a clinic or hospital have always been exempt from VAT.
	A number of specific zero rates are available for goods designed specially for use by chronically sick or disabled people. Many allergy sufferers are not chronically sick or disabled; however, these reliefs may apply to allergy relief products in certain limited circumstances.
	Since the introduction VAT, in the UK, allergy relief products supplied in all other circumstances are liable to VAT at the standard rate which, since 1 April 1991, has been 17.5 per cent. Prior to that, the standard rate of VAT was as follows: from 1 April 1973—10 per cent.; from 29 July 1974—8 per cent.; from 18 June 1979—15 per cent.
	Long-standing formal agreements with our European partners allow us to keep our existing VAT zero rates, but do not allow us to extend them or introduce any new ones. It is therefore not possible to extend the scope of our zero rates to allergy relief products which do not currently benefit from zero-rating.

Civil Service (Job Losses)

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which services within his Department will be (a) affected by and (b) subject to job losses consequent on the cuts in the civil service announced in the Spending Review.

Paul Boateng: Full details of the workforce changes announced in the Spending Review are being worked through, and we are consulting all stakeholders including unions and staff.
	Departments will come forward in due course with details of workforce changes once plans are finalised.

Diesel (Taxation)

Gary Streeter: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of taxation per litre is on diesel produced naturally from used cooking oil.

John Healey: The duty rate for diesel produced from biomass or waste cooking oil and used as a road fuel is 27.10 pence per litre providing that it meets the specification for biodiesel as set out in HM Customs and Excise Public Notice 179E "Biodiesel and Bioblend". If it does not meet the specification, it is dutied as a fuel substitute at the same rate as ultra low sulphur diesel (ULSD) which is 47.10 pence per litre.

Milk Tokens

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many eligible claimants of tax credit have been waiting for over six months for their milk tokens.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue provides the Department of Health (DoH) with monthly extracts from its database of people who, on the basis of information they report to the Revenue as tax credits claimants, are entitled to milk tokens.
	The number of cases for which such notification to DoH is delayed for six months after the calculation of the award is thought to be very small. I understand from DoH that they currently have no delays in issuing milk tokens to eligible claimants based on data supplied by the Revenue.

Parliamentary Questions

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the question tabled by the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland on 22 July on the value of applications made to the Crown Estate's Research Committee.

Stephen Timms: I did so on 14 September 2004, Official Report, column 1508W.

Tax Collection (Costs)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of collection of (a) national insurance, (b) income tax, (c) capital gains tax and (d) inheritance tax was in each year since 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: For years up to and including 2001–02, the costs of collecting income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax and national insurance contributions can be found on page 45 of the Inland Revenue Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2002 (published in December 2002). Figures for 2002–03 are contained within Appendix 2 of the Inland Revenue Annual Report for the year ending 31 March 2003 (published in December 2003).

Tax Credit

Norman Lamb: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action is being taken to ensure that the Inland Revenue's computer system is able to cope with the complexity of tax credit claims and payments; how many overpayments of tax credit have been made in the current financial year; what the value of those overpayments is; and how many overpayments are subject to recovery.

Dawn Primarolo: The new IT systems for tax credits have been introduced as planned and are delivering the processes for finalising tax credit awards for 2003–04 and renewing claims for 2004–05. Information about the number of overpayments in relation to 2004–05 tax credits awards will be available after those awards are finalised.

Tax Credit

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the tax credit appeal by the constituent of the hon. Member for Birkenhead, Mr. Matthew Morrison of Beckwith Street, Birkenhead, lodged on 19 April, will be heard.

Dawn Primarolo: The Inland Revenue aims to settle tax credit appeals by agreement with the customer, wherever possible. For appeals that go to tribunal, the Appeals Service aims to hear cases within 12 weeks of receipt of a submission. The Inland Revenue wrote to Mr Morrison about his case on 24 August 2004.

Tax Credit

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value is of tax credit overpayments not recovered because the Inland Revenue accept that the overpayment arose because of a mistake by the Inland Revenue and the person could reasonably have thought their award was right.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested for 2003–04 awards is not yet available.

Tax Credit

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value is of compensation awarded for tax credit errors made by the Inland Revenue.

Dawn Primarolo: Compensation payments can be made for mistakes or unreasonable delays. For payments during 2003–04, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton South (Mr. Tynan) and to the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 20 July 2004, Official Report, columns 190–91W.
	Later payments up to the end of August 2004 totalled £570,000.

Tax Credit

John Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement regarding the performance of the Tax Credits Office at Preston, and in particular its Disputes Team, with reference to the case of a constituent of Onslow Crescent in Solihull whose name has been communicated to him.

Dawn Primarolo: The Tax Credit Office (TCO) aims to reply to 80 per cent. of complaints within 15 working days and is on line to achieve this target this year.
	The TCO is in contact with the hon. Member and his constituent about his constituent's claim.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Abandoned Vehicles

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent research has been conducted on the number of vehicles being abandoned; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The most recent data on the numbers of vehicles being abandoned in England has been collated through Defra's Municipal Waste Management Survey of 2002–03 and the Abandoned Vehicle Survey of 2002–03. Although these show an increase in the total amount of abandoned vehicles, the trend has significantly slowed since 2001–02.

Abattoirs

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many abattoirs in the UK are licensed to kill over 30 month old cattle.

Alun Michael: There are currently 20 abattoirs in the UK contracted to slaughter cattle for the over 30 months scheme.

Abattoirs

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether cattle over 30 months may be transported to slaughter in the same lorry as those under 30 months.

Alun Michael: Cattle over 30 months can be transported to slaughter in the same lorry as those under 30 months, providing that all necessary animal movement and welfare legislation is adhered to.

Apples

Roy Beggs: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what special programmes are in place to support and encourage apple growing in England.

Alun Michael: There are no programmes specifically to subsidise apple growing, but, Defra funds a substantial research and development programme of benefit to apple and other fruit growers. Growers are also eligible for assistance under the England Rural Development Programme. In particular, Defra's Countryside Stewardship Scheme funds the conservation of about two-thirds of England's traditional orchards.

Bastroe Channel

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2004, Official Report, column 1340W, on the Bastroe Channel, what the findings were of the independent environmental impact assessment of the Bastroe Channel project by experts appointed by the Council of Europe.

Elliot Morley: The report of the independent on the spot appraisal conducted on behalf of the Standing Committee of the Bern Convention on 22–24 July 2004 will propose that the Standing Committee make the following recommendations to the Government of Ukraine:-
	1. to immediately suspend ongoing works in the Bystre canal estuary and abandon implementation of phase two of the project, for the purpose of preventing any significant modification of natural habitats of species listed in appendices I and II of the Convention and settled in the neighbouring maritime and shoreline areas; to carry out in-depth monitoring in physical and biological terms of the evolution of the Bystre estuary and canal;
	2. to act on the recommendations set out in the UNESCO/Ramsar appraisal report (October 2003), which called for a fuller and more in-depth environmental impact study, analysing and comparing the costs to the public of the possible alternatives and the consequences of the works at transfrontier level;
	3. to organise an international workshop in autumn 2004, under the auspices of the Council of Europe, with a view to drawing up a strategic plan for the sustainable development of the Vilkova region. This event, held at the invitation of the Prime Minister of the Ukraine, should bring together, alongside the ministries responsible inter alia for regional planning, environment, tourism and transport, representatives of scientific bodies (Academy of Sciences, Kyiv University, Institute of Ecology etc), local authorities (municipality of Vilkova) and local NGOs, as well as the main international organisations concerned by the project (MAB/UNESCO, Bonn/AEWA, Bern, Ramsar conventions and ICPDR).
	4. invite the other two countries signatory to the trilateral agreement on cooperation in the natural reserves of the Danube delta and lower reaches of the Prut, namely Moldova and Romania, to participate in this event.
	5. to ask for the assistance of international organisations to draw up this plan, in particular WWF International and IUCN, and that of the multi lateral lending agencies for its implementation (EU, EBRD, World Bank etc);
	6. to reinforce protection of the active part of the delta by including the delta isle of Limba, located close to the mouth of the Chilia arm, right bank, in the core zone of the biosphere reserve, as well as the habitats of major ecological interest, lying to the south of Vilkova and currently included in the reserve's buffer and transit zones.
	It is expected that the Bureau of the Standing Committee, meeting this month, will request that this report be placed on the agenda of the Standing Committee annual meeting on 29 November for consideration, together with a draft recommendation which the Standing Committee will be invited to adopt.

Chemicals Regulation

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessments she has made of the effect on the number of experiments on animals of the new REACH regulations; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: The EU proposal on REACH requires information to be gathered on chemicals in order to provide the basis for protecting human health and the environment. This information may come from a number of sources, one of which is animal testing. The Commission has estimated that this draft Regulation will require data to be gathered on approximately 30,000 chemicals. Of these, 20,000 are thought to be produced or imported in quantities of less than 10 tonnes. At this tonnage the current Commission proposal requires 25 animals per chemical, although it should be remembered that in most cases the tests are expected to demonstrate that the chemical concerned is safe and therefore involves no threat to humans or animals. It is a key objective of the UK Government's work on REACH to keep animal testing to a minimum. Discussions are continuing on that basis.
	The Commission proposal would require further data as tonnage increases to reflect the greater potential human and environmental exposure. The tests performed need to comply with the relevant requirements for the protection of laboratory animals set out in Directive 86/609/EEC where, among other things, methods used must be refined in such a way as to minimise the amount of suffering caused to the animals concerned. Further, the chemical industry already has some of this data and there are other sources of information such as modelling of data and grouping of chemicals to read-across data from one chemical to another, all of which will reduce the amount of new testing that will be required. If recent experience from a major testing programme in the USA were to be duplicated in Europe, the number of new animal tests that will need to be undertaken will be significantly lower than the estimates talked about to date.
	It is an overall objective, for the UK Government, in negotiating this Regulation, to ensure that animal testing is kept to the minimum necessary to protect human health and the environment. One of the ways we aim to do this is by applying an intelligent approach to testing.
	The Government welcomes the Commission's efforts to minimise animal testing and recognises that several provisos have been included in the legislative proposal to encourage maximum use of existing data, avoid duplication of testing and use alternative methods wherever appropriate.

CITES

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Government's policy on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species; and what steps the Government can take to influence the EU position on CITES.

Elliot Morley: The UK has always sought to maintain a balanced approach to CITES issues—basing its decisions on sound science. This means promoting worthwhile and practicable conservation measures while upholding the principle of sustainable development. The views of the UK Government on these issues are widely respected both within the EU and CITES as a whole, and as such have been, and continue to be, very influential in shaping the EU position on CITES issues.

CITES

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the resumption of a legal ivory trade; and what representations she has made to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species on this issue.

Elliot Morley: The UK Government and the other EU member states take the view that no decision on commercial trade in ivory should be taken outside the framework agreed at the last Conference of CITES Parties in Santiago. This allowed for a one-off sale of ivory stocks held by Botswana, Namibia and South Africa subject to certain strict conditions, which have yet to be met.
	It is our view that it would be inappropriate to consider any wider resumption in the commercial trade in ivory until there has been a proper assessment of the wider impact of this proposed one-off sale. This is therefore the line that the UK and other member states will take at the forthcoming CITES conference in Bangkok.

Combined Heat and Power

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which combined heat and power plants she has visited in her official capacity.

Elliot Morley: None. Ministers and officials all meet regularly with the Combined Heat and Power Association and members of the industry. Departmental Ministers have visited a number of CHP schemes.

Combined Heat and Power

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will give further details of the very serious challenges to be overcome highlighted in her foreword to the Combined Heat and Power Strategy.

Elliot Morley: The Strategy details a range of interventions in the market to help support CHP which, by their very nature, are needed to overcome the challenges ahead. We recognise the current unfavourable economic climate for CHP, which largely results from high gas prices and low electricity prices. We are therefore not complacent and will continue to monitor progress towards the CHP target and work in active partnership with industry to ensure delivery of the Strategy.

Cormorant Predation

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 May 2004, Official Report, column 1084, on cormorant predation, what additional measures will be introduced to help angling clubs and fishing owners protect fish stock in freshwater fisheries from cormorant predation.

Ben Bradshaw: After careful consideration of cormorant population dynamics and modelling I am announcing a new strategy to help fishery owners and angling interests deal with the problems caused by cormorants.
	A revised licensing system will make it simpler to apply for licences to cull cormorants where serious damage to fisheries can be shown. The new system will presume that where significant numbers of cormorants are present at a site, and it is clear that these are feeding on fish stocks, serious damage is occurring, or there is a risk of serious damage. However this will continue to be confirmed on a case-by-case basis, to ensure that Defra is satisfied that there is no other solution in accordance with the law, and to ensure that there are significant numbers of cormorants feeding which are causing, or are likely to cause, serious damage, Defra will continue its research into non-lethal methods of managing cormorant populations. Further work will be undertaken, in the near future, to test the applicability of fish refuges, optimise their design and to determine their most cost-effective spatial arrangement for them in still waters, as well as looking at ways to resolve problems in rivers.
	The licensing system will be made simpler in the following ways Licences will be:
	Issued for a period of up to two years;
	Revoked or amended by Defra as necessary;
	Issued between 31 August and 15 April;
	Issued in advance to prevent problems occurring;
	Issued without an assessor's visit unless it is a new licence application or where circumstances have significantly changed. Every site will be visited at least once every two years, with site visits being undertaken more often if this is considered necessary;
	Licences can be amended by telephone, fax or by email
	We will also ensure that the Environment Agency and other Defra agencies are aware of the changes and encouraged to follow permitted procedures where appropriate.
	In addition to the measures above, where it is necessary to protect salmon and sea trout smolts, we will be prepared to issue licences to kill birds during the smolt run up to 1 May This extension will also apply to protect designated spawning sites, such as gravel shallows on rivers, for appropriate species of fish and fisheries. In addition those sites planning fresh stockings of fish in still waters will be able to obtain licences where such fish would be particularly vulnerable to attack.
	The new licensing system is expected to lead to an increase in the number of cormorants culled. Mathematical modelling by the Central Science Laboratory suggests that the overall cormorant population would be reduced but would stabilise at a number significantly higher than its historic level. We will ensure that the cormorant population will be monitored through a refined Wetland Bird Survey count and, if necessary, the number of licences reduced in future years to ensure the stabilisation of the population.
	The consequences of the new policy will be assessed on an annual basis and the number of cormorants allowed to be killed under licence adjusted as necessary to ensure stabilisation of the population. Defra will cease to issue licences for a period, and may consider revocation or suspension of licences currently issued, should the cormorant population not respond in the manner predicted. This will provide an added safety mechanism and will protect the conservation status of the bird, (as required under the Birds Directive), while providing enough flexibility to resolve fishery problems.

Council of Ministers

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  if she will make a written ministerial statement outlining the key points on the agenda for each of the Council of Ministers' meetings at which her Department is represented in advance of each meeting;
	(2)  if she will make a written ministerial statement outlining for each meeting of the Council of Ministers at which her Department is represented as soon as is practicable following that meeting of (a) the key items of discussion, (b) the positions of the Government on those items, (c) the key positions taken by other member states that Ministers consider should be noted by hon. Members and (d) any preliminary discussion on the timing and the agenda of the following meeting.

Alun Michael: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 13 September 2004, Official Report, column 1451W.

Designated Accommodation

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many rooms are set aside for (a) the use of smokers, (b) worship, broken down by religion and (c) nursing mothers and pregnant women in each building and set of offices for which her Department is responsible.

Alun Michael: The implementation of these policies is decentralised so details are not readily available for the whole Defra estate. But the information for the Department's major headquarters sites in London, Guildford and York and for the site of the Rural Development Service at Reading is as follows:
	
		
			  Smoking Worship Nursing/pregnant 
		
		
			 9 Millbank (2)— First aid room First aid room 
			 Cromwell House 1 First aid room First aid room 
			 Eastbury House 1 First aid room First aid room 
			 Ergon House 1 First aid room First aid room 
			 1a Page Street 1 First aid room 1 
			 Nobel House 1 First aid room First aid room 
			 Whitehall Place East 1 First aid room First aid room 
			 Guildford 4 1 First aid room 
			 Reading 1 On request — 
			 York 3 On request 1 
		
	
	(2) Shares facility with Nobel House.
	In the interests of providing a healthy working environment, Defra pursues a non-smoking policy in the workplace but provides smoking rooms wherever possible. The Department is committed to policies of equal opportunity and tolerance and responds to the needs of religious worship where this is required (for the Christian Fellowship, for Ramadan or for private contemplation for example). Also any conference room or meeting room can be booked for the purpose of religious observance. Similarly Defra seeks to serve the needs of nursing and expectant mothers. At smaller sites, provision for worship and nursing mothers is often combined with other facilities such as quiet rooms or first aid rooms for reasons of practicality and cost effectiveness.

Farming

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the farms in Essex which are predominantly (a) dairy and (b) cattle and sheep.

Alun Michael: As at the June 2003 Agricultural Census there were 33 holdings that were predominantly dairy and 396 that were predominantly cattle and sheep in Essex.
	These figures include the unitary authorities of Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea. The Agricultural Statistics Act 1979 prevents the disclosure of the addresses of these holdings.

Farming

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance will be offered to farmers who have suffered crop loss and crop value loss owing to weather conditions during harvest this year; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: It is clear that there have been difficulties during one of the wettest harvest periods on record, particularly in some parts of the country. Defra officials had a detailed meeting with representatives of the NFU on 1 September where it was agreed that the position is still evolving and it would not be possible to establish an overall position for another 10 to 14 days. Until there is a fuller picture, it is not clear whether any measures to alleviate the situation would be warranted. Follow-up meetings are planned between my officials and industry representatives to discuss the issue.

Farming

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of the single farm payment on (a) dairy farmers, (b) cattle farmers and (c) sheep farmers in farms located within land designated as (i) moorland within the upland severely disadvantaged area and (ii) other land within the upland severely disadvantaged area; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Defra's assessment of the likely impact of the Single Payment is available on the website at: www.defra.gov.uk/farm/capreform/implementation/docs/webnoterev16.pdf
	This includes information concerning the impact on farms of different types and farms within the Less Favoured Areas and I am placing a hard copy of the information in the Library of the House.

Foot and Mouth

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what the evidential basis was for the conclusion in the report, Origin of the UK Foot and Mouth Disease Epidemic in 2001, that the February 2001 UK outbreak and the September 2000 South African outbreak had a common origin rather than the South African outbreak being the origin of the UK outbreak; and if she will publish the results of the phylogenetic analyses which were undertaken;
	(2)  what outbreaks of the foot and mouth virus have been identified by the Government as providing a plausible common origin for the February 2001 UK outbreak and the September 2000 South African outbreak;
	(3)  if she will publish the results of further analyses of the genome sequences of isolates from the February 2001 UK and the September 2000 South African foot and mouth disease outbreaks and their likely origins, performed since the publication of the report on the Origin of the UK Foot and Mouth Disease Epidemic in 2001;
	(4)  whether a foot and mouth disease outbreak isolate with a closer phylogenetic relationship to the February 2001 UK outbreak than the September 2000 South African outbreak has been identified.

Margaret Beckett: The conclusion, in the report of the Origin UK Foot and Mouth Disease Epidemic in 2001, that the UK and South African epidemics are likely to arise from a common origin, rather than the South African outbreak being the source for the UK outbreak, is based on knowledge of the history of the disease pattern and control measures in place in both countries rather than any direct evidence from phylogenetic analyses. The detailed evidence for this conclusion is set out clearly in the main body and annexes 5 and 6 of the report published by my Department in June 2002. The report may be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/inquiries/lessons/fmdorigins.pdf.
	Phylogenetic analyses alone cannot attribute causal relationships between outbreaks and can only provide data on the similarity between isolates. The following two papers have been published on the possible origin of the UK 2001 outbreak. They include details of the phylogenetic analyses, the first comparing only VP1 sequence data and the second on the complete genome sequences:
	Knowles, N.J., Samuel, A.R., Davies, P.R., Kitching, R.P. and Donaldson, A.I. (2001). Outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype O in the UK caused by a pandemic strain. Veterinary Record 148: 258–259.
	Mason, P.W., Pacheco, J.M., Zhao, Q.-Z. and Knowles, N.J. (2003). Comparisons of the complete genomes of Asian, African and European isolates of a recent foot-and-mouth disease virus type O pandemic strain (PanAsia). Journal of General Virology 84: 1583–1593.
	No viruses have been submitted to the World Reference Laboratory (WRL) for foot and mouth disease which have a closer relationship to either the South Africa 2000 or the UK 2001 than these two viruses have to each other. The most closely related virus that is in the WRL collection to these viruses originated from Japan in 2000. However, as indicated above, this should not be taken to indicate a causal relationship between the Japanese and other isolates. Due to the widespread distribution of the pan-Asia strain and its limited genetic diversity, phylogenetic analysis is unlikely to provide further information on any possible common origin for the UK and South African outbreaks.
	Copies of the two scientific papers referred to above will be placed in the Library of the House.

Fuel Poverty

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much public money was spent in insulating and improving heating in (a) elderly and (b) low income homes in each of the last 25 years.

Elliot Morley: Since the establishment of Defra in June 2001, the Warm Front scheme, which provides a range of insulation and heating measures to private households in England, has spent approximately £296.6 million. Of this, around £220 million has been spent on the elderly.
	The Energy Saving Trust, which is grant funded by my Department, also provides support to local authorities to run local energy efficiency programmes.

GM Crops

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is her policy to ensure co-existence measures between GM and non-GM crops are in place before supporting the addition to Europe's common catalogue of seeds varieties of GM maize.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 13 September 2004
	It is the Government's clear policy to introduce measures on the issue of the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops before commercial cultivation takes place in the UK. We do not expect commercial cultivation of GM crops in the UK before 2008. The recent decision to add 17 varieties of GM maize to the EU Common Catalogue of seed varieties does not alter this as the varieties in question are not appropriate for cultivation in UK conditions.

GM Crops

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on recent decisions of the European Commission relating to plans for commercial growing of 17 different varieties of GM maize, as submitted by Monsanto.

Elliot Morley: The European Commission has approved the addition of 17 varieties of GM maize to the EU Common Catalogue of seed varieties. The Common Catalogue is an amalgam of individual member states national seed lists and it is a routine procedure for varieties on individual national seed lists to be added to the Catalogue. These 17 varieties are already on either the national seed lists of France or Spain.
	The 17 maize varieties all contain the same GM transformation event which confers resistance to the European corn borer. This GM event was given EU wide approval for commercial cultivation in 1998, and maize varieties containing this GM event have been grown in Spain since then.
	While adding these varieties to the EU common catalogue means they could theoretically be grown in the UK it is not expected that any farmer in the UK will attempt to grow them. This is because these varieties are very late maturing and in UK conditions they would not produce a crop with anything like the feed value that livestock farmers require from maize. Nor would they ripen to produce a grain crop. In addition the pest to which the maize varieties are designed to be resistant is not a problem in the UK. We understand that Monsanto do not intend to offer these seed varieties for sale in the UK.

Harvest

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received from (a) farmers in the Vale of York and (b) farmers elsewhere in England regarding the impact of the bad weather in August on the harvest; and what measures her Department proposes to take to alleviate the situation.

Alun Michael: The Department has received representations from farming interests and Defra officials had a detailed meeting with representatives of the NFU. It is clear that there have been difficulties during one of the wettest harvest periods on record particularly in some parts of the country. However, it was agreed at the meeting that the position is still evolving and it would not be possible to establish an overall position until there is a fuller picture to establish whether any measures to alleviate the situation would be warranted. The Department is in close touch with the industry and the EU Commission on this issue.

Hazardous Waste

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 15 July 2004, Official Report, column 1298W, on hazardous waste, how many landfill sites are able to accept hazardous waste.

Elliot Morley: Currently, there are 11 merchant dedicated hazardous waste landfill sites (which would receive hazardous waste on a commercial basis accepting hazardous waste). Of these six are operating under PPC permit and five are operating under current Waste Management Licence (WML).There are eight in-house dedicated hazardous waste landfill sites (which are used to dispose of waste from their own operations such as factory process waste) accepting hazardous waste. Of these two are operating under PPC permit and six under WML. Finally, there are 13 non-hazardous sites each with a separate cell for stable non-reactive hazardous waste accepting hazardous in the separate cells. Of these two are operating under PPC permits and 11 under WML.
	Some sites have been issued with PPC permits but are not yet operational usually due to sites undergoing engineering/construction (approximately nine sites). In addition, there are a number of applications pending.

Hazardous Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many hazardous waste dumping incidents were reported to the Environment Agency in each of the last five years for which figures are available, broken down by region.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 13 September 2004
	The Environment Agency reports the data broken down by Agency Regional boundaries and is available for the calendar years 2001–04. The table shows the total numbers of incidents of deposits involving hazardous materials on land and in water, recorded in each of the years for each region. Data for 2004 are for the year to date.
	
		
			 Region 2001 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Anglian 90 89 117 66 
			 EA Wales 29 54 61 45 
			 Midlands 128 120 78 47 
			 North East 88 106 143 112 
			 North West 86 48 74 38 
			 South West 44 70 36 33 
			 Southern 75 62 65 49 
			 Thames 58 83 90 43 
			 Total 598 632 664 433

Hazardous Waste

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the postponement of the meeting of the Hazardous Waste Forum that was due to take place on 3 September.

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons the Hazardous Waste Forum meeting, due for 3 September, was cancelled; and on what date the meeting will now take place.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 13 September 2004
	The chair of the forum suffered a bereavement in the week before the meeting, necessitating her absence, and there were no other senior officials available to take her place. All members were given over a week's notice of the cancellation, and in the process, the secretariat sought views of the forum on the need for a further meeting before the next planned one at the end of November.
	In the light of comments from a minority of members, a further, likely smaller scale, meeting of the forum is being rescheduled for 11 October. In the meantime the Department continues to maintain regular contact with stakeholders on the forum. The secretariat for the forum has specifically requested feedback from its members on any pressing regulatory or other issues since 16 July which need to be shared with the forum, or discussed at the 11 October meeting.

Illegal Fly-tipping

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action the Government recommend against those guilty of illegal fly-tipping; and what discussions she has had with the Environment Agency on policy implementation.

Elliot Morley: The illegal disposal of waste, or fly-tipping, is a serious criminal offence. The current penalties for those found guilty of this offence is a maximum fine of up to £20,000 and two years imprisonment for incidents involving non-hazardous waste and unlimited fines and five years imprisonment for incidents involving hazardous waste. The Government is currently consulting on proposals as part of the Clean Neighbourhoods consultation to increase these penalties.
	The Government would like to see the Environment Agency and local authorities take more effective action to prevent and detect fly-tipping and to prosecute those responsible. We are developing, in close consultation with the Agency and local authorities, a whole range of measures to support this strategy and to aid the Agency and local authorities in implanting our policy.
	My officials frequently discuss the implementation of Government policy with Environment Agency officials, and Ministers also discuss issues at regular bi-lateral meetings.

Landfill

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many waste landfill sites have applied for a hazardous waste site permit.

Margaret Beckett: 30 sites have applied for a hazardous waste landfill site PPC permit. This number comprises 18 merchant sites (which would receive hazardous waste on a commercial basis) and 12 in-house sites (which are used to dispose of waste from their own operations such as factory process waste), and includes those sites for which a permit has been refused.
	In addition, there are 44 sites that have applied for a PPC permit to build a cell that can accept stabilised non-reactive hazardous waste in a non-hazardous landfill site.

Landfill

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much methane gas per year is produced by landfill sites in England; how much is put to use; and what plans she has to increase this latter figure.

Elliot Morley: In a report commissioned by Defra it is estimated that in 2000, approximately 660,000 tonnes of methane was emitted from UK landfills, accounting for 27 per cent. of the total methane released from the UK.
	The amount of methane that is used has significantly increased over the last five years and information held by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem) indicates that there is currently 612,674 KW installed capacity at a total of 269 UK landfill gas power stations. This is out of a potential capacity that could be readily exploited for utilisation of approximately 800,000 KW.
	The proportion of methane in landfill gas that is used has increased in response to two main drivers and is expected to continue to increase. These drivers are:
	(i) The Landfill Regulations (England and Wales) 2002
	These regulations require landfill operators to collect, treat and use landfill gas (e.g. electricity generation) to the extent possible. The requirements for improved landfill gas management form an important part of new landfill permits being permitted by the Environment Agency in accordance with the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) regulatory regime.
	(ii) The Renewables Obligation
	As part of its revised policy for renewable energy in the UK, the Government introduced the Renewables Obligation for England and Wales. This Obligation requires power suppliers to derive a specified proportion of the electricity they supply to their customers from renewable resources and includes strong financial incentives for suppliers. Landfill gas currently provides approximately one-quarter of the UK's installed generating capacity for renewable power.

Light Pollution

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints concerning light pollution were received by each local authority in England in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Data on complaints about light pollution are not collected by central Government.
	The Government are consulting through the Clean Neighbourhoods consultation on proposals to broaden the scope of the statutory nuisance regime in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to include artificial light. To be a statutory nuisance, it would have to be emitted from premises and be prejudicial to health or a nuisance. The closing date for responses to the consultation is 24 September 2004.

Lions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether her Department will oppose the proposed ban on the international trade of lion trophies and skins; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The UK, in common with the other EU member states, is currently maintaining an open position on this matter and would like to explore the scope for an agreed solution with the range states before coming to a final decision.

Ministerial Air Travel

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list for each year since 1997 the number of miles flown by each Minister in her Department on official departmental business.

Margaret Beckett: The information requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. These report information reaching back to 1995–96. Information for 2003–04 is currently being assembled and will be published shortly. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Planning Policy Statement 22

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether Planning Policy Statement 22 was subject to rural proofing by her Department.

Alun Michael: The question appears to be based on a misapprehension about rural proofing. It is the responsibility of each Government department to rural proof its policies, and this principle is included in current guidance on regulatory impact assessment. Defra officials are able to provide rural evidence and guidance in support of this while I meet Ministers regularly to help the process along.
	Defra officials made a substantial contribution to the consultation on Planning Policy Statement 22: Renewable Energy and its accompanying Good Practice Guide. By working closely with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, we have ensured that PPS22 gives appropriate guidance on considerations of landscape and biodiversity alongside strong support for the development of renewable energy resources.

PR Costs

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the salary costs to the Department were for employees working in public relations and publicity in each year since 1997.

Alun Michael: Defra was formed in June 2001. Figures on expenditure on public relations and publicity by all sections of Defra are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However the salary costs for staff employed on the full range of communications activities by the Communications Directorate of the Department since its formation in June 2001 were:
	
		
			  Months £ million 
		
		
			 2001–02 10 2.5 
			 2002–03 12 4.1 
			 2003–04 12 3.5

Private Sewers

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the adoption of private sewers following her consultation on the recommendations contained in the W. S. Atkins Report.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 13 September 2004
	The Department plans to publish a response to the consultation in the early autumn. This will summarise responses, give the Government's views and set out the issues that need to be addressed before a final decision can be made. A decision paper should be published early next year.

Recycling

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what amounts of (a) waste cooking fats and (b) batteries were disposed of in each of the last three years; how much of each was recycled; what plans she has to increase those figures; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: There are no precise figures for the amount of waste cooking fats disposed of or recycled. However, it is estimated that between 70,000 to 90,000 tonnes of used cooking oil is collected each year for use in animal feed. The remainder goes to incineration at energy plants.
	Between 60,000 to 70,000 tonnes of used cooking oil going to animal feed comes from catering premises. However, from 1 November 2004, this use will be prohibited under the terms of the Animal By-Products Regulation (Regulation EC No. 1774/2002). It is thought that other markets, including the growing bio-diesel industry, will absorb this stream of used cooking oil. In the short-term, these alternative markets are likely to be elsewhere in the EU. A Cabinet Office sponsored working group, including industry representatives from the various potential markets for used cooking oil, is considering current and potential UK capacity for domestic use of used cooking oil.
	No precise data for the recycling of end of life automotive batteries are currently collected. However, discussions with the battery manufacturing and distributing sector, and the lead recycling industry, suggest that in 2002 and 2003, the UK recycled over 90 per cent. of spent automotive batteries. In each year, an estimated 7.5 million automotive batteries entered the waste stream. In 2002, the UK sold 25,100 tonnes of consumer batteries but only 125 tonnes were collected separately and sent for recycling.
	The proposed forthcoming batteries Directive will ensure that recycling levels for all types of portable battery increase. Collection and recycling targets will have to be met four years from transposition date and the UK will have 18 months to transpose the Directive after it is agreed. There has been a significant increase in the number of local authorities introducing battery collection schemes and G&P Batteries will be opening a recycling plant for portable primary batteries in 2005.

Refrigerators

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the principal factors behind failures to recover all potential ozone depleting substances from refrigeration units.

Elliot Morley: A significant but highly variable proportion of the original ozone depleting substance (ODS) within a refrigerant unit will have been lost during the working life of the appliance. The failure of the coolant system and consequent loss of ODS is one of the reasons why refrigeration units may be discarded by householders.
	The licence conditions for storage and treatment facilities of refrigeration units include measures that will minimise the loss of ODS, but further losses may occur during the extraction of the coolant (known as phase 1 degassing), as even the best equipment and procedures will not remove 100 per cent. of the coolant. Other sources of loss may include inappropriate transportation/handling or accidents/vandalism at storage facilities.

Refrigerators

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much CFC12 has been recovered from (a) refrigeration circuits and (b) refrigeration unit foams since European Council Regulation No. 2037/2000 came into force;
	(2)  how much CFC11 has been recovered from refrigeration unit foams since European Council Regulation No. 2037/2000 came into force.

Elliot Morley: The information on CFCs is not held in the form requested, as the data on the recovery of ozone depleting substances (ODS) does not distinguish between the type of ODS, or the equipment from which it was recovered.
	The following information is provided.
	The total amount of ODS including CFCs recovered from all equipment was:
	387 tonnes in 2002 and;
	494 tonnes in 2003.
	In addition, a significant number of refrigerators leave the UK for treatment—
	418,000 in 2002 and 377,000 in 2003—and it will fall to the receiving EU state to recover the associated ODS, and report upon it.

Sustainable Development Impacts

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken by her Department to review arrangements for public reporting of sustainable development impacts.

Elliot Morley: The arrangements for public reporting of our progress towards sustainable development for the UK are being reviewed as part of the UK Government's consultation 'Taking it on: developing UK sustainable development strategy together'. This consultation closed on 31 July 2004. Defra, in partnership with other Government Departments, is currently considering the responses received, and we aim to launch the resulting new strategy, including a monitoring and reporting structure, next year.
	The Government also reports annually on the management of its own land and buildings in the 'Sustainable Development in Government' Report; this provides an overview of departmental progress against targets in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate. The Government has committed to review the framework during 2004–05.

Sustainable Development Impacts

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements her Department has in place to report publicly on key sustainable development impacts.

Elliot Morley: The UK Government, with Defra as overall lead department, reports annually on its progress towards sustainable development for the UK in the 'Achieving a better quality of life' series of reports. The most recent annual report, covering our actions and progress in 2003 and including updates for the 15 headline indicators of sustainable development, was published on 16 March 2004. A wider set of 147 indicators of sustainable development 'Quality of life counts' were published at the same time. In addition the headline indicators are updated on the Government's sustainable development website, as and when new data become available. These reporting arrangements are being reviewed as part of the consultation 'Taking it on: developing UK sustainable development strategy together'.
	The Government also reports annually regarding the management of its own land and buildings in the 'Sustainable Development in Government' Report; this provides an overview of departmental progress against targets in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate. The last report was published in November 2003.

Warship Dismantling (Hartlepool)

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on (a) the four ghost ships moored in Hartlepool and (b) proposals for a further nine former US navy ships to be dismantled in Hartlepool.

Elliot Morley: The four US ships are currently docked in Able UK's Graythorp dock on Teesside. The necessary permissions are being sought by Able UK for dismantling to take place at this location. The process of granting the permissions is not a forgone conclusion. Relevant applications will be considered and the outcome will depend upon the relevant regulators.
	In the meantime, dismantling work is prevented and the dock facility is subject to regular inspection by the Environment Agency in liaison with the Health and Safety Executive. The results of environ mental monitoring indicate that storage of the four US naval ships at the Graythorp dock has not had a detrimental impact or posed a significant threat to the environment or human health.
	There are no plans for any further US naval vessels to be towed to the UK at present. The nine ships that are currently in the US are not permitted to be moved to the UK and the US authorities have given a written undertaking that no more ships will be sent unless and until the necessary permissions are in place at the Teesside facility.

Waste Management

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library copies of all documents relating to discussions in Cabinet Committee meetings on the granting of powers to local authorities to charge householders for the collection, processing and disposal of unsorted household waste that has reached the public domain.

Elliot Morley: It has been established practice under successive Governments not to disclose information relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees. This practice is now formalised by Exemption 2 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Waste Management

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions her Department has held with companies offering technologies for differential and variable charging for waste collection and disposal; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Department has not held any discussions with companies offering technologies for differential and variable charging for waste collection and disposal.
	I have accepted an invitation from PM Group plc to visit their manufacturing facility at Bradford to see a demonstration of their waste weighing systems but, owing to other commitments, the visit has not yet taken place.

Water Industry

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out the latest water leakage figures, broken down by water company.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 14 September 2004
	The Director General of Water Services publishes leakage figures annually in the 'Security of Supply, Leakage and the Efficient Use of Water' reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. In 2003–04 total water company leakage, in Megalitres per day, was reported as follows:
	
		
			  Megalitres per day 
		
		
			 Anglian 215 
			 Bournemouth and West Hants 22 
			 Bristol 53 
			 Cambridge 14 
			 Dee Valley 10 
			 Dwr Cymru 230 
			 Folkestone and Dover 8 
			 Mid Kent 30 
			 Northumbrian North 160 
			 Northumbrian South 70 
			 Portsmouth 30 
			 Severn Trent 510 
			 South East 69 
			 South Staffordshire 71 
			 South West 84 
			 Southern 92 
			 Sutton and East Surrey 24 
			 Tendring Hundred 5 
			 Thames 945 
			 Three Valleys 150 
			 United Utilities 480 
			 Wessex 75 
			 Yorkshire 295

Written Briefings

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by her special advisers for all Labour hon. Members since May 1997; and what the total cost is to date.

Margaret Beckett: The Code of Conduct for Special Advisers sets out special advisers' duties and responsibilities. This includes helping to brief party MPs and officials on issues of Government policy. No central record of such briefings is maintained by the Department. Any written briefings will be distributed by the party.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Cultural Objects

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will reconsider his rejection of the recommendation in paragraph 36 of the First Report of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, Session 2003–04, HC59, on cultural objects: developments since 2000, to introduce a performance objective for the theft of cultural objects; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The reasons we set out in our joint response with the Department for Culture Media and Sport for not accepting this recommendation remain valid:
	Whether thefts involve cultural items is not currently recorded by all police forces and would be difficult to do in a consistent way due to the problem of defining "cultural objects".
	We are looking to minimise the number of targets on forces to allow them more flexibility to focus on their own local problems and priorities.
	The Home Office considers that driving down the theft of cultural items is just one means to the ends of reducing organised crime and drug trafficking, rather than a target in itself.
	Setting such a target would, therefore, add to the bureaucratic demands on forces for little, if any, benefit.
	We have no plans, therefore, to review our decision.

Al-Muhajiroun

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Government is taking to monitor the activities of the Islamic group Al-Muhajiroun.

David Blunkett: The appropriate authorities closely monitor every word and statement that AI-Muhajiroun's representatives make. We are fully aware of their activities. We have made our position very clear -Al Muhajiroun represents neither the Muslim community or their views. We absolutely reject their offensive statements, as have the vast majority of Muslims in the UK.

Cannabis

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effects of reclassifying cannabis from a class B to a class C drug.

Caroline Flint: The reclassification of cannabis from a Class B to a Class C drug allows the police to focus a greater amount of resources on tackling Class A drugs, such as heroin and crack cocaine. Early indications are encouraging in terms of achieving this, but detailed figures are not yet available.

Computer Misuse

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the action being taken by the Government to address the use of peer-to-peer computer file sharing to obtain illegal film and images of violence and sexual abuse.

Paul Goggins: It is illegal to publish some extreme images under the Obscene Publications Act 1959, whether by peer-to-peer or other means. The Government is currently considering whether the law relating to pornographic material featuring violence and sexual abuse should be strengthened.

Disability Discrimination Act

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all prisons comply with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in respect of (a) prisoners, (b) staff and (c) visitors; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service is working constructively to ensure that as a service provider, it responds positively to the needs of disabled prisoners, staff and visitors. A strategy document was issued to all Prison Service staff in June 2003. This explained the implications for prisons of the changes in the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) due to come into effect on 1 October 2004.
	The prison estate consists of a wide variety of buildings of differing ages and security levels and therefore access for prisoners to all prisons and prison facilities poses some difficulties. However the Prison Service's policy for all prisoners is to address their needs, including disability related needs, through the sentence planning process. This will allow prisons to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that prisoners are not discriminated against.
	The Prison Service has significant experience of operating within the employment provisions of the DDA as non-operational staff have had protection since its first introduction. On 1 October, all operational staff will be covered by the DDA. Policies have been revised to ensure that the treatment for individual staff with disabilities is compliant with the employment aspects of the DDA.
	A national disability compliance audit of all Prison Service establishments from a visitors' perspective has not been undertaken. Given the potential scope of the exercise this would not be practicable. It remains the responsibility of each establishment to address the individual requirements of those with particular needs, bearing in mind resource implications and reasonableness. Establishments and Visitors' Centres remain vigilant to the fact that the interpretation of disability within the Disability Discrimination Act is wide.

GPS Tracking Scheme

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the new GPS tracking of offenders scheme will (a) replace and (b) complement the treatment, supervision and surveillance scheme that is in place for offenders.

Paul Goggins: The GPS pilot tracking schemes will not replace the treatment, supervision and surveillance schemes that are currently in place for offenders, but will complement them. Tracking technology is a way of enhancing the management of offenders on such schemes. It will give public protection agencies an added layer of information about the offender's movements and will aid intervention if they breach the requirements of their court order or release licence.

Hate Crime

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government has to amend the law to protect (a) transsexuals, (b) people with learning difficulties and (c) people with disabilities from hate crime; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: All categories of people are already protected by the criminal law. In particular they are protected from violence and threats of violence by offences such as assault, actual bodily harm and grievous bodily harm. They are also protected from harassment by legislation, including the Protection from Harassment Act. In sentencing for these crimes, courts take particular account of the vulnerability of the victim and the motivation for the crime. The Government has no plans to amend the law to apply differently or specifically to these groups of people.

Health Information (Confidentiality)

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he will take to encourage sharing on a confidential basis of health information relating to residents of secure training centres between private contractors responsible for their medical services and the national health service.

Paul Goggins: We would encourage those involved in giving medical advice and treatment to young people in secure training centres to share information with each other as much as possible, within the requirements of the law on the confidentiality of medical records.

Pay Systems

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the most recent review of (a) his Department's pay systems, (b) the pay systems of the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible and (c) the departmental equal pay action plan.

Fiona Mactaggart: There is no single document that could be described as a formal review of the Department's pay systems. However, there is a regular evaluation of the Department pay systems to ensure that they meet its business needs and in response to employee representative pay claims. Changes in the reward arrangements are subject to the public sector pay policy, Her Majesty's Treasury pay remit process and the normal collective bargaining with employee representatives. These changes in pay terms and conditions are then published for staff in the Department to see.
	Non-departmental public bodies have delegated authority for their pay and grading arrangements and are individually responsible for their pay systems. Again there is no single document that could be described as a formal review. Changes in pay systems are made within the context of public sector pay policy, Her Majesty's Treasury pay remit process and the normal collective bargaining with employee representatives.
	A copy of the Department's equal pay action plan will be placed in the Library.

People's Mujahedin Organisation of Iran

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to remove the People's Mujahedin Organisation of Iran from his list of terrorist organisations; and if he will make a statement.

David Blunkett: As a matter of policy, the Government does not comment on whether a particular organisation is being considered for proscription or de-proscription under section 3 of the Terrorism Act 2000. Such decisions are only taken after the most careful consideration and on the basis of the best possible security advice.

Prisons

Jane Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the proposed reduction in the number of fire safety officers on the operation of the Prison Service.

Paul Goggins: The reduction of staff within Fire Safety Section is a result of reorganisation of the Section and is part of the overall headquarters efficiencies. The reduction in staff is tempered by changes in working requirements that has removed identified unnecessary work from the section. It is considered that the level of provision of advice to the Service will not be adversely affected.

Prisons

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Prison Service has spent on equal pay tribunal cases since 1997.

Paul Goggins: On 9 September 2004 the Prison Service had spent
	£1,034,741 since 1997 on equal pay tribunal cases.

Prisons

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many job evaluation exercises have been carried out by the Prison Service in respect of (a) administrative and (b) Prison Service staff since 1997; and what the outcome was.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service introduced Phase 1 of its review of pay and grading in July 2000. Affecting 2,500 middle and senior managers, including those in administrative and operational disciplines, it replaced more than 150 existing grades with a seven-payband common structure supported by a job evaluation system.
	Development of Phase 2 of the review, which would have applied to 38,000 lower-graded staff in disciplines that included administrative and operational grades, was halted in April 2002 and the project work subsumed within pay modernisation.
	In the process of developmental work, and to date, the Prison Service has carried out 507 individual job evaluations.

Prisons

Ross Cranston: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many equal pay cases against the Prison Service at employment tribunals have found (a) for and (b) against the Service since 1997; and what the financial implications of those decisions have been.

Paul Goggins: On the information available, there have been findings against the Prison Service in eight equal pay claims since 1997. These findings are currently subject to appeal by the Prison Service and it is therefore not possible to provide a realistic estimate of the financial implications.

Prisons

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much the Prison Service has spent since 1997 defending employment tribunal cases in respect of equal pay claims.

Paul Goggins: On 9 September 2004 the Prison Service had spent £1,034,741 since 1997 defending equal pay tribunal cases.

Prisons

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Prison Service plans to review its job evaluation system in the light of recent employment tribunal cases.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service uses a job evaluation system called Equate, which underpins the jobs of middle and senior managers within Phase 1 of its Pay and Grading scheme. There are no plans to review it in the light of the case of Bailey and Others v. Home Office.
	However, it is proposed to explore the need for a job evaluation scheme that can be used to evaluate jobs that do not fall within Phase 1.

Prisons

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Prison Service plans to appeal against employment tribunal decisions made during the last 12 months in respect of equal pay claims between administrative support and prison officer grades.

Paul Goggins: The Prison Service lodged an appeal in the case of Bailey and Others v. Home Office on 26 August 2004.

Prisons

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many organisations which expressed an interest in drug rehabilitation work for the Prison Service have not tendered for the work.

Paul Goggins: Prison Service Contracts and Procurement Unit (CPU) received 57 expressions of interest in response to the public notice dated 26 November 2003. All were sent Pre-Qualifying Questionnaires (PQQ). CPU received 41 completed PQQ's by the closing date on 30 January 2004 and rejected 11 of these. Twenty-nine invitations to tender were sent on 20 May 2004 of which 24 tenders were received on 20 July 2004.

Prisons

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 22 July, Official Report, column 609W, on prisons, what assessment he has made of the effects of operating with a shortfall in the operational requirement for prison healthcare staff; what steps he is taking to address the shortage; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: No such assessment has been made centrally. Prison managers and primary care trusts are responsible for ensuring that an establishment's health workforce includes people with the skills and competencies necessary to implement its prison health delivery plan.

Prostitution Initiative

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how his Department's Prostitution Initiative affects the residents of Leyton and Wanstead.

Caroline Flint: On 16 July this year the Home Office published "Paying the Price", a consultation paper on the issues related to prostitution. The consultation exercise, which runs until 26 November, will form the basis for the development of a co-ordinated strategy to deal with prostitution.
	The existence of prostitution in a neighbourhood can significantly affect local residents through associated noise and traffic, prostitution-related litter, harassment, anti-social behaviour and criminality. Through the civil and criminal law, environmental means and support for those trapped in prostitution to change their lives, a co-ordinated strategy for prostitution will enable local partnerships to deliver real improvements for local communities suffering the detrimental effects of prostitution in their neighbourhoods.
	Copies of "Paying the Price" have been placed in the Library and are available from the Home Office website at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/inside/consults/index
	We welcome views from my hon. Friend and his constituents.

Rehabilitation

Keith Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the National Rehabilitation Action Plan.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 13 September 2004
	On 19 July 2004, I published the National Reducing Re-offending Action Plan. Over 60 action points have been agreed across Government, covering all the key areas to support the rehabilitation of offenders, in a concerted effort to reduce re-offending. For each agreed action point, the Plan suggests complementary activity for the consideration of those working at the regional and local level. Copies of have been placed in the Library of the House.

Sentencing Guidelines

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Government have assessed overseas sentencing guidelines to study the relationship between guidelines and prison capacity.

Paul Goggins: In taking forward its work, the Sentencing Guidelines Council will be looking at experience of sentencing guidelines in other jurisdictions and, amongst other things, their effect on the prison populations.

Sentencing Guidelines

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the functions are of the Sentencing Guidelines Council's research staff.

Paul Goggins: The function of the Sentencing Guidelines Council's research staff is to support the Council's work in framing guidelines that take account of, amongst other things: the need to promote consistency in sentencing; the sentences imposed by courts in England and Wales for offences to which the guidelines relate; and the cost-effectiveness of different sentences in preventing re-offending.

Sentencing Guidelines

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends the new guidelines system will help increase public confidence in the criminal justice system.

Paul Goggins: The membership of the Sentencing Guidelines Council encompasses not only sentencers but also representatives who bring experience of policing, criminal prosecution, criminal defence and the promotion of the welfare of victims of crime. The Council must take account of, amongst other things, the need to promote public confidence in the criminal justice system when framing or revising guidelines, and proposed guidelines will be subject to public consultation before being finalised. The courts must then apply the guidelines in all cases and give any reasons for departing from them when deciding on the sentence to be passed. This is a more collaborative and transparent system, which is open to public scrutiny, and should engender greater public confidence in sentencing practice.

Sentencing Guidelines

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the effect the new guidelines system will have on sentencing policy.

Paul Goggins: Sentencing policy will be reflected in the sentencing guidelines. The legislation also provides for the Home Secretary at any time to ask the Council to frame or revise guidelines relating to a general matter affecting sentencing, to a particular category of offender, or to a particular offence.

Sentencing Guidelines

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has (a) to commission research into public attitudes on sentencing guidelines and (b) to develop a sentencing information system to provide judges with data about sentencing in similar cases.

Paul Goggins: We have no current plans to commission research into public attitudes on sentencing guidelines but public consultation forms part of the process in developing guidelines. The Council will be providing sentencing data and analysis to sentencers on a regular basis, including data on sentencing patterns across the country in order to inform discussions at a local level.

Sentencing Guidelines

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the main aims are of the Sentencing Guidelines Council; and what assessment has been made of when these aims will be fulfilled.

Paul Goggins: The Sentencing Guidelines Council is responsible for framing and revising definitive guidelines on all criminal offences, which will enable all courts to approach the sentencing of offenders from a common starting point. It will take some years to produce comprehensive guidelines and the Council will have a continuing remit to revise them as necessary.

Sentencing Guidelines

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the efficiency of the two-stage sentencing guidelines process.

Paul Goggins: The Sentencing Advisory Panel provides advice to assist the Sentencing Guidelines Council in framing and revising sentencing and allocation guidelines. The membership of the Panel is broader than that of the Council, including academics and public representation, and consultation on its advice includes public consultation in addition to 28 statutory consultees. This ensures that the Council's deliberations on framing guidelines are informed by views from all interested parties.

Sex Offenders

Richard Shepherd: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether all sex offenders in the bail hostel in Aldridge will be included in the West Midlands tagging trial.

Paul Goggins: holding answer 13 September 2004
	No sex offenders from this hostel will be tracked. The pilots of satellite tracking began on 2 September in Greater Manchester, Hampshire and the West Midlands. All three areas will test the technology with prolific offenders and domestic violence offenders, but only the Greater Manchester area will test the technology with sex offenders.

Young Offenders

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many young offenders aged 18 to 21 were received into prison in 2003 (a) under sentence, (b) unconvicted awaiting trial and (c) convicted awaiting sentence.

Paul Goggins: Information from the Prison Service information system records that in 2003 there were 13,261 young offenders aged 18 to 20 received into prison establishments in England and Wales under immediate custodial sentence. There were 9,013 received as untried and 8,359 received as convicted unsentenced into prison establishments in England and Wales.
	Total receptions cannot be calculated by adding together receptions in each category, because there is double counting.

Young Offenders Institutions (Staff Checks)

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether criminal records bureau checks are carried out on all staff working in young offenders institutions, including those operated by the private sector.

Paul Goggins: Prison Service policy requires the Governor of each establishment, including young offender institutions to arrange for a Criminal Records Bureau check on all those appointed to work with children under 18 years of age. These arrangements also apply to young offender institutions operated by the private sector.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Work-life Balance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women what recent initiatives she has taken to improve work-life balance for women.

Patricia Hewitt: The Government introduced a package of new laws to support working mothers and their partners in April 2003, including improved maternity pay and leave and the right to request flexible working. We have actively encouraged business to adopt best practice and provide greater flexibility and choice in the workplace. We have invested in child care and continue to do so. Additional funding for Sure Start will support an additional 100,000 new child care places by 2008.

Politics (Participation)

Linda Perham: To ask the Minister for Women what action she is taking to encourage teenage girls to participate in politics.

Patricia Hewitt: I am delighted to say that "Citizenship" is now taught in all schools, as part of the National Curriculum, to develop young people's knowledge and understanding of their roles, rights and responsibilities in relation to the democratic process, including the electoral system and the importance of voting.
	The Women and Equality Unit produced last year a special resource pack for teachers and young people that includes ideas on how to cover women's equality issues in Citizenship classes.

Gender Balance

David Taylor: To ask the Minister for Women what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the encouragement of a greater level of entry by women into relevant academic areas to facilitate more representative gender balance in key professional areas; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: We are delighted that women are excelling and are now attaining more degrees than ever before. In 1993, 8 per cent. of women held degrees. By 2002, this had increased to 14 per cent. Around 50 per cent. of all students on law, accountancy and medicine undergraduate courses are female. However, we must not get complacent. Occupational segregation still exists. Women are still under-represented in certain sectors and senior positions. Women represent less than 25 per cent. of all managers and senior executives, and only 15 per cent. of those working in science, engineering and technology jobs. That is why earlier today my right hon. Friend was delighted to launch a new resource centre in Bradford, dedicated to promoting women in science, engineering and technology.

Pensions

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Minister for Women what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding the pension gap.

Jacqui Smith: We have introduced a raft of measures both to help women in retirement and to help women of working-age build better pensions. Almost all the 2.5 million carers who have benefited from the Second State Pension are women, two-thirds of those receiving pension credit are women, and the introduction of, and increases to, the national minimum wage disproportionately benefits women. We have also launched the Informed Choices for Working and Savings publication.

SCOTLAND

Black Watch Museum

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to visit the Black Watch Museum in Perth.

Alistair Darling: I have no current plans to do so.

Boundary Commission for Scotland

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he has received the final report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland.

Alistair Darling: I have not yet received the Fifth Periodical Report of the Boundary Commission for Scotland. As I indicated to the hon. Member on 7 September 2004, Official Report, column 940W, while the Commission has until December 2006 to report to me, in the light of its progress so far it seems likely that the report will be received much sooner than this deadline. However, the timing is a matter for the Commission.

Business Competitiveness

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the First Minister to discuss business competitiveness in Scotland.

Alistair Darling: I regularly meet the First Minister and discuss a wide range of issues.

Correspondence

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland pursuant to his evidence to the Scottish Affairs Select Committee on 29 June, what steps he has taken to improve the performance of his Department in responding to correspondence.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office annual report shows that from April 2003 to March 2004 the 15-day target for responding to correspondence was met in 81 per cent. of cases. Internal monitoring procedures are in place to ensure that the 15-day performance target is achieved where possible.

Council of Ministers

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  if he will make a written ministerial statement outlining the key points on the agenda for each of the Council of Ministers' meetings at which his Department is represented in advance of each meeting;
	(2)  if he will make a written ministerial statement outlining for each meeting of the Council of Ministers at which his Department is represented as soon as is practicable following that meeting (a) the key items of discussion, (b) the positions of the Government on those items, (c) the key positions taken by other member states that Ministers consider should be noted by hon. Members and (d) any preliminary discussion on the timing and the agenda of the following meeting.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 13 September 2004, Official Report, column 1451W.

Departmental Buildings

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of electricity used by buildings in his Department has come from renewable sources in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: Information in the form requested is not available.

Departmental Expenditure

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on electricity use for each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	Since that date electricity costs of the Scotland Office and Office of the Advocate-General are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1999–2000(3) 11,855 
			 2000–01 22,807 
			 2001–02 19,526 
			 2002–03 28,439 
			 2003–04 23,703 
		
	
	(3) Part year.
	The information relates to buildings where the Scotland Office are major occupiers. Costs relating to buildings shared with the Scottish Executive are not separately identifiable.

Departmental Expenditure

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much his Department has spent on water and sewerage services in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.
	Since that date water and sewerage costs of the Scotland Office and Office of the Advocate-General are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1999–2000(4) 1,067 
			 2000–01 3,656 
			 2001–02 4,221 
			 2002–03 7,018 
			 2003–04 11,699 
		
	
	(4) Part year.
	The information relates to buildings where the Scotland Office are major occupiers. Costs relating to buildings shared with the Scottish Executive are not separately identifiable.

Gershon Review

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what effect he expects the Gershon review of Civil Service manpower to have on payments to the Scottish Consolidated Fund.

Anne McGuire: The arrangements for payments to the Scottish Consolidated Fund are set out in the Statement of Funding Policy, which was published by HM Treasury in July 2004. These arrangements have not changed. In the 2004 Spending Review, the Government announced efficiency gains by departments, which will be redeployed to front line delivery following the Gershon review. It will be for the Scottish Executive to make decisions on efficiency gains in devolved areas.

Ministerial Responsibility

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  if he will list the policy decisions he has made as Secretary of State for Scotland and Transport;
	(2)  if he will list the policy issues on which he has responsibility both as Secretary of State for Scotland and Secretary of State for Transport.

Alistair Darling: My policy responsibilities for Transport and for Scotland are set out in the Annual Reports from the Department for Transport and Scotland Office. Naturally within each area I give due consideration to the full range of my responsibilities when reaching decisions on policy.

Scottish Executive Secondees

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff in his Department are on secondment from the Scottish Executive.

Anne McGuire: There are presently 56 staff on loan to the Scotland Office from the Scottish Executive. In addition, 26 staff are on loan from the Scottish Executive to the Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland.

CABINET OFFICE

Departmental Expenditure

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the total cost of printing departmental headed notepaper was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available.

Ruth Kelly: The majority of management units within the Cabinet Office use an electronic Word template to produce departmental headed notepaper at little or no cost to the Department. However, a small number of Management Units do produce their own headed notepaper at an estimated cost of £30,000 in 2003–04.
	Financial information prior to the 1997–98 financial year was produced on a previous accounting system and cannot be readily retrieved without incurring disproportionate cost.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Academic Standards

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received on changes in the academic standard of (a) GCSE and (b) A levels; and what research he has commissioned into changes in the academic standard of each.

David Miliband: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is the body with statutory responsibility for ensuring that the standards of GCSE and A level qualifications are maintained over time. QCA has a rolling programme of standards reviews, which began in 1997. The reports are available on the QCA website.
	Following the 2002 Inquiry into A Level Standards, QCA has also appointed an independent panel to advise it publicly on whether or not standards are being maintained. They will report for the first time in the autumn.

Education (York)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the capital investment in schools in the City of York has been in each year since the formation of the City of York unitary council.

David Miliband: The majority of schools capital funding is now allocated to local authorities and schools by needs-related formulae. Authorities invest according to priorities agreed locally in their asset management plans. The following table shows the total of my Department's capital allocations to the City of York local education authority and its schools since the formation of the unitary authority in 1996–97.
	
		City of York LEA capital allocations
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 1996–97 830 
			 1997–98 1,263 
			 1998–99 1,501 
			 1999–2000 4,281 
			 2000–01 6,877 
			 2001–02 3,987 
			 2002–03 (5)24,379 
			 2003–04 9,561 
			 2004–05 (6)9,047 
		
	
	(5) Includes £12.4 million of PFI credits.
	(6) Further allocations may be made.

Education Finance

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 26 April 2004, Official Report, column 798W, on education finance, if he will break down the total education funding per child in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) England and (ii) North Somerset; and if he will estimate the sums that would be available for education in North Somerset if the average funding per pupil for primary and secondary schools in North Somerset were the same as for England.

David Miliband: The information requested is not available by sector (primary and secondary) as this is not how the funding is distributed. Therefore the following two tables set out the information requested using pupils aged 3–10 as the most appropriate figures for primary funding and pupils aged 11–15 as the most appropriate for secondary funding. The formula for the Education Formula Spending Share calculation comprises a basic entitlement for each pupil, which is the same across the country, plus a top-up for each pupil with additional educational needs, which is again the same across the country, plus top-ups for areas where it costs more to recruit and retain teachers. Local education authorities with a greater proportion of pupils with additional educational needs or higher average earnings will receive a higher level of funding per pupil.
	
		Pupils aged 3–10
		
			  North Somerset (£ per pupil) England (£ per pupil) North Somerset 
			  SSA/EFS Grants Total SSA/EFS Grants Total Estimated total (£ million) 
		
		
			 1997–98 2,020 180 2,190 2,220 170 2,380 34.9 
			 1998–99 2,190 100 2,300 2,390 80 2,470 37.0 
			 1999–2000 2,280 180 2,460 2,480 150 2,630 39.8 
			 2000–01 2,340 320 2,660 2,540 320 2,860 43.2 
			 2001–02 2,360 400 2,760 2,600 430 3,020 46.8 
			 2002–03 2,380 420 2,810 2,640 460 3,100 48.6 
			 2003–04 2,650 340 2,990 2,930 360 3,290 52.3 
			 2004–05 2,740 330 3,070 3,020 380 3,400 54.5 
		
	
	
		Pupils aged 11–15
		
			  North Somerset (£ per pupil) England (£ per pupil) North Somerset 
			  SSA/EFS Grants Total SSA/EFS Grants Total Estimated total (£ million) 
		
		
			 1997–98 2,960 30 2,990 3,220 30 3,260 33.7 
			 1998–99 3,020 60 3,080 3,290 40 3,320 34.8 
			 1999–2000 3,080 120 3,200 3,340 100 3,440 36.1 
			 2000–01 3,180 260 3,440 3,460 270 3,730 40.5 
			 2001–02 3,220 340 3,560 3,520 410 3,930 43.5 
			 2002–03 3,260 380 3,630 3,570 440 4,010 45.4 
			 2003–04 3,250 490 3,740 3,560 520 4,080 47.2 
			 2004–05 3,400 490 3,880 3,700 550 4,250 50.0 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The North Somerset estimated totals have been calculated by multiplying the England per pupil total for each year, by the total number of relevant pupils (aged 3–10 and 11 -15) in North Somerset in the relevant year.
	2. 2003–04 and 2004–05 figures are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited. Updates will be available in the autumn.
	3. Figures reflect education Standard Spending Assessment/Education Formula Spending settlement (all sub-blocks), plus all revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to EFS pupils aged 3–10 and 11–15.
	4. Figures exclude Education Maintenance Allowance, grants not allocated at LEA level and the pensions transfer to EFS for 2003–04 and 2004–05. For those LEAs in receipt of advance of grant under the transitional support arrangements for 2004–05, advance grant funding is included in the year of payment (2004–05).
	5. The pupil numbers used are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC 3-year-olds maintained pupils and estimated 3–4 year olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.
	6. Per pupil figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	7. Total figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million.
	8. 1997–98 figures for LEAs subject to Local Government Reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figures.
	9. Real terms at 2003–04 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 30 June 2004

GCSEs

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of students in each year from 1997–98 to 2003–04 achieved Grade C or above in GCSE (a) mathematics, (b) science and (c) English.

David Miliband: holding answer 14 September 2004
	The information requested is as follows:
	
		Percentage of 15-year-old pupils achieving grade C or higher at GCSE/GNVQ
		
			  English Mathematics Science 
		
		
			 2003 56 48 48 
			 2002 55 49 48 
			 2001 54 48 48 
			 2000 54 46 47 
			 1999 53 45 46 
			 1998 51 43 45 
		
	
	Note:
	GCSE/GNVQ results are reported as standard as the results of pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August and therefore reaching the end of compulsory education at the end of the school year.

GCSEs

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils in England obtained (a) fewer than five GCSEs at A*-C grades and (b) no GCSEs at A*-C grade in each year since 1990.

David Miliband: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of 15 year old pupils(7) achieving less than five A*-C grades at GCSE/GNVQ Number of 15 year old pupils(7) achieving no A*-C grades at GCSE/GNVQ Total number of 15 year old pupils(7) 
		
		
			 2003 292,589 151,641 622,122 
			 2002 293,833 150,480 606,554 
			 2001 301,680 156,699 603,318 
			 2000 294,666 153,121 580,393 
			 1999 302,412 159,382 580,972 
			 1998 308,779 164,741 575,210 
			 1997 321,874 172,907 586,766 
			 1996 329,498 176,887 594,035 
			 1995 326,893 178,998 578,197 
			 1994 301,637 161,798 532,273 
			 1993 307,459 164,635 522,447 
			 1992 335,654 186,462 544,068 
		
	
	(7) GCSE/GNVQ results are reported as standard as the results of pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August and therefore reaching the end of compulsory education at the end of the school year.

Learning and Skills Council/HEFCE/Sector Skills Agency

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff are employed in administration roles within the (a) Learning and Skills Council, (b) Higher Education Funding Council for England and (c) Sector Skills Agency.

Ivan Lewis: The overall number of staff in post in each organisation, as at August 2004, is set out in the following table.
	
		
			 Organisation Number of staff(8) 
		
		
			 Learning and Skills Council for England 3,871 
			 Higher Education Funding Council for England 256 
			 Sector Skills Development Agency 84 
		
	
	(8) Staff in post figures are expressed as full-time equivalents.

Looked-after Children/Care Leavers

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to extend the funding which was available for the purchase of capital equipment for looked-after children and care leavers in 2002–03 and 2003–04 to future years; and what plans there are for alternative funding.

David Miliband: holding answer 14 September 2004
	Overall support for capital investment in schools, including buildings and information and communications technology, has risen to £4.9 billion in 2004–05, and will rise to £5.5 billion in 2005–06. Increasingly, we provide this support direct to local authorities, and let them set priorities locally. Looked-after children can benefit from this investment, and we have no plans to extend the specific Quality Protects Information Technology Grant, which ended in 2003–04.

Pupil Funding (Coventry, South)

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the most recent figures are for the per pupil funding level for (a) schools, (b) sixth forms and (c) further education colleges in the Coventry South region.

David Miliband: The total funding per pupil aged 3–15 for 2004–05 in Coventry LEA is £3,920.
	The further education funding system is different to schools. Funding is paid for learning aims as well as an entitlement per 16 to 18 payment. Under the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC's) funding formula the basic cost to the public purse of delivering three A-levels in a sixth form college and a further education college to a student in the 2004–05 academic year will be £3,045. This figure comprises £766 for the delivery of each A-level learning aim, and £747 for each student for the entitlement element of their learning programme. Under the LSC's funding formula the basic cost to the public purse of delivering three A-levels to a student at an English maintained secondary school will be £3,212. This figure comprises £785 for the delivery of each A-level learning aim, £750 for each student for the entitlement element of their learning programme, and £107 for each student to meet additional employers' contributions to teachers' pensions.
	These figures do not represent all funding that colleges and school sixth forms receive and are not directly comparable. For example the further education funding rates include consolidated funds for pay and staff training that are not reflected in the school sixth form rates. Also, in each case additional funding may also be available to take account of the higher costs of delivering learning in particular geographical areas, in higher cost subjects, or to students with particular disadvantages or individual needs.

Science Education

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether researchers from humanities disciplines focusing on public understanding of science and cultural studies of science will be supported by the funding increases announced in the paper Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004–14, published in July; and if he will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: I have been asked to reply.
	As outlined in the Science and Innovation Investment Framework, the Government intends to increase the scale of its activities in advancing the Science and Society agenda. This includes activities to promote public confidence and engagement in science. Expenditure in this area will be supported through the Office of Science and Technology's Science and Society budget which will, overall, increase from £4.25 million per year in 2005–06 to over £9 million per year by 2006–07. Arts and humanities research clearly provide important theoretical and practical bases for public engagement with science and technology. Applications for financial support for researchers from the arts and humanities disciplines will be treated in the same way as those from the natural and social sciences.

Standard Spending Assessments

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average Standard Spending Assessment/formula spending share funding per head has been for all services in (a) England and (b) North Somerset in each year since 1997; and if he will estimate the sums that would be available for services in North Somerset if the average SSA/FSS funding per head were the same as the English average.

David Miliband: The DfES does not hold funding information for all services in England. The recurrent funding allocated by Government for education through SSA/FSS and grants in the DfES departmental expenditure limit for England and North Somerset is set out in the following table.
	The formula for the education formula spending share calculation comprises a basic entitlement for each pupil, which is the same across the country, plus a top-up for each pupil with additional educational needs, which is again the same across the country, plus top-ups for areas where it costs more to recruit and retain teachers. Local education authorities with a greater proportion of pupils with additional educational needs or higher average earnings will receive a higher level of funding per pupil.
	
		Per pupil aged 3–19
		
			  North Somerset (£ per pupil) England (£ per pupil) North Somerset 
			  SSA/EFS Grants Total SSA/EFS Grants Total Estimated total (£ million) 
		
		
			 1997–98 2,580 110 2,690 2,790 110 2,900 77.8 
			 1998–99 2,670 80 2,760 2,900 60 2,950 80.2 
			 1999–2000 2,740 150 2,890 2,950 130 3,080 84.4 
			 2000–01 2,810 290 3,100 3,030 300 3,330 91.6 
			 2001–02 2,820 370 3,190 3,080 410 3,490 98.1 
			 2002–03 2,660 600 3,260 2,960 620 3,580 102.2 
			 2003–04 2,800 600 3,400 3,100 610 3,710 107.5 
			 2004–05 2,900 590 3,500 3,210 630 3,840 112.5 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The North Somerset estimated totals have been calculated by multiplying the England per pupil total for each year, by the total number of pupils aged three to 19 in North Somerset in the relevant year.
	2. 2003–04 and 2004–05 figures are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited. Updates will be available in the autumn.
	3. Figures reflect education standard spending assessment/education formula spending settlement (all sub-blocks), plus all revenue grants in DfES departmental expenditure limits relevant to EFS pupils aged three to 19.
	4. Figures exclude education maintenance allowance, grants not allocated at LEA level and the pensions transfer to EFS and Learning and Skills Council for 2003–04 and 2004–05. For those LEAs in receipt of advance of grant under the transitional support arrangements for 2004–05, advance grant funding is included in the year of payment (2004–05).
	5. The pupil numbers used are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC three-year-olds maintained pupils and estimated three to four-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.
	6. Per pupil figures are rounded to the nearest £10.
	7. Total figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million.
	8. 1997–98 figures for LEAs subject to local government reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figures.
	9. Real terms at 2003–04 prices, based on GDP deflators as at 30 June 2004.

Stored Publications

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many departmental publications are in storage; and where they are located.

Kim Howells: The majority of Departmental publications are stored on sites managed by Prolog—the Department's storage and mailing contractor. There are currently 5,320 titles in storage, the majority of which are located in Nottingham.
	The range of publications stored includes materials to support teaching staff in the delivery of Key Stages 1, 2 and 3, former Department of Health publications that transferred to this Department as a result the Machinery of Government changes announced in June 2003 and titles in alternative formats, including ethnic languages, Braille, audio tape and large print.
	We are working towards reducing the number of publications in storage. The Department has recently taken forward a programme of stock rationalisation in which overstocked and obsolete products were identified and recycled. We have also introduced a 'print on demand' facility, whereby low turnover items are stored electronically and only printed when requested.
	Furthermore, we are in the process of rolling out an online ordering system for schools which allows head teachers to access print materials electronically and order them in the multiples they need when they need them.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

September Sittings

Tam Dalyell: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what estimate the Commission has made of the cost to the House arising from the interruption of building work in preparation for the sitting of the House this September.

George Osborne: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what the additional cost to the House is of providing for the September sitting; and what impact the September sitting has had on the (a) nature and (b) cost of contracts with external contractors.

Archy Kirkwood: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given to the hon. Member for Salisbury on 9 September 2004, Official Report, column 1330W.

Unfair Dismissal

Greg Knight: To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission how many employees have been dismissed during the past three years; how many of those dismissals have resulted in a claim for unfair dismissal being pursued; how many unfair dismissal claims are current; and if he will make a statement.

Archy Kirkwood: The information requested is as follows for the period 14 September 2001 to 13 September 2004:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Staff dismissed 21 
			 Claims pursued for unfair dismissal 5 
			 Current claims 2

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

New Opportunities Fund

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will set out the distribution of the New Opportunities Fund over the next three years broken down by main heading, including the Children's Hospice Service.

Estelle Morris: The following table outlines the New Opportunities Fund's existing commitments until 2006–07. The New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund have undergone an administrative merger and are now operating as the Big Lottery Fund. Full merger will take place as soon as legislation permits. New funding will be available to the Big Lottery Fund by 2006–07. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently announced proposed themes for future funding and the Big Lottery Fund will be consulting on these shortly.
	
		
			 Forecast grant drawdown(9) 
			 Initiative Amount available to distribute (£ million) Awards committed as at 31 March 2004 Paid out as at 31 March 2004 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 
		
		
			 Healthy Living Centres 280.24 267.78 83.37 45.60 43.20 40.80 
			 Cancer prevention, detection, treatment and care 145.28 145.19 122.64 13.80 7.20 0.74 
			 Reducing the burden of CHD, cancer and stroke 202.07 195.18 66.17 57.14 45.00 26.41 
			 Palliative care(10) 79.53 78.14 12.88 19.64 22.80 16.42 
			 Out of school hours learning 214.90 208.26 130.57 45.60 24.86 9.86 
			 Out of school hours child care and child care 389.89 367.70 233.72 71.34 70.61 35.98 
			 Community access to lifelong learning 189.70 188.22 142.26 30.71 14.16 2.92 
			 Small scale grants schemes (Awards for All) 53.00 33.85 33.59 18.29 2.22 — 
			 ICT training and content creation 286.48 286.21 260.02 12.02 — — 
			 Green spaces and sustainable communities 121.91 116.73 68.55 34.17 12.50 4.41 
			 Fair Share 50.00 50.00 50.00 — — — 
			 Transforming communities 150.11 136.99 11.64 30.76 40.45 48.42 
			 Opportunities for young people—PE and sport in schools 811.30 291.77 31.00 145.24 343.50 235.88 
			 Opportunities and activities for young people 64.85 63.13 39.73 21.29 2.20 2.30 
			 Young Peoples Fund 200.00 — — Not yet known 
			 Total 3,239.26 2,429.15 1,286.13 545.59 628.70 424.14 
		
	
	(9) The drawdown of funds to grant recipients is estimated on the forecast rate of spend, and therefore may be subject to change.
	(10) Approximately 58 per cent. of these awards are for children's palliative care projects in England.

Aboriginal Artefacts

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the lenders on securing the return of two bark etchings and an Aboriginal ceremonial headdress on loan to the Museum Victoria in Melbourne, Australia; why such items have not been returned; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: DCMS has been following this matter with interest and is liaising closely with the British Museum (which has been leading on this issue for the lenders), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and the Australian High Commission. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has represented the UK Government position directly to the Victorian State Government and to the Federal Government of Australia.
	The items in question are currently on loan from the British Museum and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew to Museum Victoria. Their return from Australia has been delayed by two Emergency Declarations imposed by an Aboriginal inspector under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Protection Act 1984. The current Declarations expire on 18 September. While a Declaration is in force, the removal of an item contrary to its terms is a criminal offence. Museum Victoria is therefore currently unable to return the items to the British Museum and Kew Gardens.
	Like the lenders, we are concerned about the potentially negative impact of this issue upon future loans to Australian museums, and are keen for the loan agreements entered into by Museum Victoria to be honoured.

Aboriginal Artefacts

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will prevent further loans of cultural artefacts to Australia in the light of the seizing of Aboriginal etchings recently on loan to that country from the UK.

Estelle Morris: Decisions on whether or not to loan objects in museum collections are matters for the institution concerned, and the Government has no power to influence this decision. In making any decisions concerning loans of objects overseas, Trustees would obviously want to consider the particular circumstances of the countries to which the items would be sent. The government will take into account the risk that any item will not be returned to this country before granting any application for an export licence in relation to an item which a museum proposes to lend overseas.

Departmental Publicity

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department's expenditure was on (a) advertising consultants, (b) public relations consultants and (c) press officers, broken down by grade in (i) 1997–98 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available.

Richard Caborn: The Department did not incur any expenditure on advertising consultants or public relations consultants in either 1997–98 or 2003–04, the latest year for which figures are available. Expenditure on press officers for 2003–04, broken down by grade, was:
	
		
			 Grade £ 
		
		
			 A 66,124 
			 A/TP 56,325 
			 B 315,021 
		
	
	Information requested for earlier years could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Free TV Licences

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners in Mitcham and Morden have received free television licences.

Estelle Morris: TV Licensing, who administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide breakdowns by parliamentary constituency of the number of free licences issued. However, 2001 Census data for Parliamentary constituencies identifies that there are approximately 3,650 people aged 75 or over living in the Tamworth constituency.

Historic Buildings

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many requests in the last three years for which figures are available were (a) made and (b) granted for the spot listing of buildings of historic or architectural interest threatened with imminent demolition; and of these how many related to industrial premises.

Richard Caborn: I regret that there is no facility, within either the English Heritage or DCMS listing databases, to separate out the listing requests made or granted that related to buildings that were threatened with imminent demolition or were industrial premises.

Information and Communication Specialists

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many information and communication technology specialists there are in full-time employment in the Department.

Richard Caborn: My Department has three information and communication specialists in full-time employment.

Lottery Grants

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Lottery money has been granted to Healthy Living centres, breaking down funding by (a) distribution body and (b) region, when the grants were made; and if she will make a statement.

Estelle Morris: The New Opportunities Fund Healthy Living Centres initiative was designed to reduce health inequalities throughout the UK and improve the health of the worst off in society. Between the launch of the initiative in 1999 and the final awards being made in September 2002, a total of £267,775,226 was committed to 351 projects UK-wide.
	It is not possible to break down funding in the way requested, but the following table shows total funds committed by the New Opportunities Fund by region:
	
		
			 Region £ million 
		
		
			 East Midlands 16.22 
			 Eastern 11.00 
			 London 34.47 
			 North East 18.79 
			 North West 31.37 
			 South East 20.81 
			 South West 14.67 
			 West Midlands 14.23 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 35.59 
			 England wide 7.62 
			 England total 204.18 
			 Northern Ireland 12.64 
			 Scotland 31.72 
			 Wales 17.65 
		
	
	The number of grants awarded by year in England only is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 1999 54 
			 2000 157 
			 2001 45 
			 2002 1 
		
	
	Other Lottery distributors may have awarded other grants to Healthy Living Centres, but this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Marine History

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of her time she has spent on work on the marine historic environment in the last 12 months.

Richard Caborn: Officials carry out marine historic environment duties on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Within the last 12 months various licences have been issued that allow archaeologists and recreational divers access to protected wrecks. In addition the Departments consultation paper "Protecting our Marine Historic Environment: Making the System Work Better" was published in March 2004.

Renaissance in the Regions Programme

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether it is her intention to fund in future the North West Renaissance in the Regions hub for improvements in the delivery of museum services to the same level as the pathfinder hubs in the north east, south west and the Midlands.

Estelle Morris: As set out in the 2004 Spending Review White Paper, it is our intention to extend the Renaissance in the Regions programme to all nine English regions. Our spending plans for 2005–08, which will be announced later in the year, will strike a balance between that objective and the other spending priorities we have to deliver during the period.

Renaissance in the Regions Programme

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to develop the Renaissance in the Regions programme in the east of England.

Estelle Morris: As set out in the 2004 Spending Review White Paper, it is our intention to extend the Renaissance in the Regions programme to all nine English regions. Our spending plans for 2005–08, which will be announced later in the year, will strike a balance between that objective and the other spending priorities we have to deliver during the period.

Televised Sporting Events

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what powers she has to insist that recorded highlights of major sporting events including international football matches, are shown on terrestrial television.

Estelle Morris: None. Provisions of the Broadcasting Act 1996, as amended by the Communications Act 2003, ensure that when rights to live coverage of events on the statutory list are made available they should be offered to the free-to-air broadcasters who reach 95 per cent. of UK audiences (currently BBC1, BBC2, ITV1 and Channel 4), either for live coverage (Category A events) or for delayed coverage or highlights (Category B events). It is a matter for the relevant broadcasters whether they acquire these rights and show the sporting events.

Television Reception

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with (a) the BBC and (b) BSkyB on the options that will be available for free-to-view digital satellite television in areas where this is the only practical way of receiving terrestrial stations;
	(2)  what plans she has to enhance the affordability of digital television when the only means of access is via satellite.

Estelle Morris: The Department is in ongoing discussions with broadcasters, including the BBC and BSkyB, and with Ofcom about the further development of digital television services. BSkyB has announced plans to offer a free-to-air satellite service; in their report "Building public value" BBC declared that they "will work with others to develop, market and promote" a free digital satellite service. Ofcom have indicated that they will consider whether regulatory intervention is needed to secure a viable free-to-view satellite proposition before switchover.

Tourism Revenues (Royal Family)

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the amount of revenue generated by tourism related to the royal family in summer 2004.

Richard Caborn: No estimate is made of the amount of revenue generated by the royal family in relation to tourism. The royal family and its heritage is a major factor in attracting visitors to Britain. They are a key part of Britain's successful tourism industry which is worth £76 billion to the economy. The royal family is very supportive of the tourism industry and their commitment will continue to bring great economic benefits to Britain.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Australian Embassy (Jakarta)

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the level of threat faced by British missions and their staff in South East Asia following the Australian embassy bombings in Jakarta;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the security arrangements in place for British Missions and their staff in South East Asia; and whether those arrangements have been reviewed following the Australian embassy bombings in Jakarta.

Bill Rammell: We take the security of all our staff, both overseas and in the UK, extremely seriously. The level of threat faced by British Missions in South East Asia and other parts of the world is high. Security arrangements for all our Posts are regularly reviewed. We have implemented a number of measures to enhance the security of our Missions in South East Asia in recent years, and have reviewed them again following the bombing outside the Australian Embassy.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 20 July from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms. Ruma Begum Churi.

Chris Mullin: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary replied to my right hon. Friend on 10 September.

Gibraltar

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role he has agreed with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will play in the tercentenary celebrations

Denis MacShane: pursuant to his reply, 11 March 2004, Official Report, c. 1701W
	. We are playing a full part in celebrating the warm relationship that we have enjoyed with the people of Gibraltar for the past 300 years. The Government are participating in an extensive programme of commemorative events taking place in both Gibraltar and the UK. The Royal Gibraltar Regiment and military units from the United Kingdom, including the Royal Marines, the Royal Engineers, the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy ships and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary are taking part in a total of more than 20 events throughout the year. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary hopes to attend an event to commemorate the Gibraltar Tercentenary later this year.

Iraq

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2004, Official Report, column 1528W, on Iraq, whether the Government have received further clarification on the investigations by the Pentagon Inspector General into the awarding of contracts for the provision of mobile telecommunications in Iraq; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: pursuant to my replies, 15 December 2003, Official Report, c. 734W and 10 March 2004, Official Report, c. 1528W
	Following inquiries by the British embassy in Washington to the United States Department of Defense, the British ambassador has received notification that the two British citizens originally named in my reply of 15 December 2003 are not under investigation by the US Defense Criminal Investigations Service (DCIS) in this regard. We are not aware of investigations into any other British Citizens. The DCIS had previously been looking into allegations concerning the handling by staff of the Coalition Provisional Authority of the award of licences for the provision of mobile telecommunications services in Iraq.
	Our position remains that we are aware of no formal or credible allegations against any British citizens in this connection and, specifically, that we have no reason to doubt the integrity of the British citizens involved in the award of these licences.

Iraq

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the process by which voters will be registered for the parliamentary elections in Iraq.

Bill Rammell: The Independent Electoral Commission for Iraq is responsible for producing the electoral role through voter registration. Voter registration forms will be distributed to Iraqis around the country on 1 November enabling voters to register for elections in January 2005.

Iraq

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many voters are registered in Iraq.

Bill Rammell: The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq is in the process of taking forward voter registration and the final figure will not be known until shortly before the end of January 2005 when the elections are due.

Iraq

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which body will be in charge of the voter registration process in Iraq.

Bill Rammell: The Independent Electoral Commission of Iraq is responsible for the organisation, oversight and implementation of the elections including the registration of voters.

Kirsty MacColl

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Mexican authorities in relation to legal proceedings following the death of Kirsty MacColl in a speedboat incident; what discussions he has had with Ms MacColl's family on the outcome of the case; what assistance the Foreign Office provided to the family during the legal process; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Mullin: Under international law, the British Government cannot interfere in the legal proceedings of another country. Nevertheless, we have frequently raised our interest in this case with the Mexican authorities, including through ambassador and counsellor meetings with the Minister for Europe in July 2003; the Director General of Consular Protection and the Tourism Minister in November 2003; and the Director General for Europe and the Chief Adviser to the Tourism Minister in August 2004. In addition, the case was also raised during High Level Talks when my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) (Bill Rammell) visited Mexico in October 2003. Consular Directorate also briefed the new Mexican Consul in London last week.
	We continue to provide all the consular assistance we properly can. Staff in our Consular Directorate are in regular contact with the 'Justice for Kirsty Campaign'. We have met them twice in London. Embassy staff met the Campaign team and facilitated meetings with local and Government authorities on their trip to Mexico in March 2004.
	We hope to raise the case again during Sir Michael Jay's, the Permanent Under Secretary at the FCO, visit to Mexico for High Level Talks later this year.

Poppy Cultivation

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress his Department is making in seeking to meet the targets of reducing poppy cultivation by 75 per cent. by 2003 and eradicating it completely by 2013.

Bill Rammell: The UK remains committed to supporting the Afghan government in implementing its National Drug Control Strategy, which aims for a 70 per cent. reduction in opium poppy cultivation by 2008, and elimination by 2013.
	The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) will publish its annual report on the level of poppy cultivation in the autumn. We anticipate an increase in cultivation levels. Although unwelcome, experience of counter narcotic policies in Pakistan and Thailand, which both had much lower initial levels of production and were more stable countries, shows that cultivation tends to increase before declining.
	In the first year of implementation of the strategy, the basic counter narcotics structures have been put in place: drug control legislation, a Counter Narcotics Directorate, the Ministry of Interior's Afghan Special Narcotics Force, the Counter Narcotics Police and a central eradication capability. Work is also in hand to develop alternative livelihoods for farmers dependent on opium poppy cultivation. These measures provide a sound basis for the future development of robust institutions and programmes to combat opium production and trafficking. Progress remains linked to the wider security situation in Afghanistan and to the implementation of other areas of institution building such as policing and judicial systems.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

No Win, No Fee Cases

Michael Spicer: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether he plans to publish information as to the number of solicitors willing to take on no win, no fee cases.

David Lammy: The information requested is not collected centrally. But the Law Society in its Solicitors' Firms Business survey 2003 found that, of those solicitors firms that use CFAs, 92 per cent. used them in personal injury cases, 24 per cent. in employment and pension cases, 17 per cent. in clinical negligence and 18 per cent. in professional negligence.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  whether his responsibilities in relation to CDC/Actis Capital have changed with regard to the reorganisation of public shareholder interests under the Shareholder Executive;
	(2)  what reserved rights he retains in CDC/Actis Capital with regard to the reorganisation of public shareholder interests under the Shareholder Executive.

Hilary Benn: My responsibilities for CDC Group plc and Actis Capital LLP have not changed as a result of the involvement of the Shareholder Executive in DFID's shareholder responsibilities. I maintain responsibility for HMG's interests in both CDC and Actis.
	The Shareholder Executive now has delegated responsibility for advising me on HMG's interest in Actis. DFID officials retain direct responsibility for advising me on CDC. The Shareholder Executive provides advice to my officials in relation to the discharge of my shareholder responsibilities for CDC.
	The reserved rights I retain in CDC Group plc and Actis Capital LLP have not changed as a result of the involvement of the Shareholder Executive in DFID's shareholder responsibilities.
	For CDC, the reserved rights that I retain as the owner of 765,036,042 ordinary shares (the remaining one is held by HM Treasury Solicitors) and one special rights preference share are set out in detail in the Commonwealth Development Corporation Act 1999 and the Memorandum and Articles of Association of CDC.
	As for Actis, the Members Agreement which I placed in the library of the House on July 14 this year sets out the rights I retain over Actis.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has made to review CDC/Actis Capital investee (a) accountability standards and (b) compliance procedures.

Hilary Benn: Since 1999, the conduct of CDC's business has been governed by a set of responsible business principles which set out standards for corporate ethics, accountability, environmental and labour practices etc. Equivalent standards are required from CDC's investee companies. These were monitored by the Business Principles Committee of the CDC board.
	As part of the reorganisation of CDC, these principles and requirements were reviewed and it was agreed that they should in future also apply to Actis. They have accordingly been written into the Members' Agreement establishing Actis, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The Business Principles Committee of the Actis Supervisory Board will now oversee their application.
	The business principles are also mandated in CDC's management contract with Actis and CDC will continue to monitor compliance through the CDC board Business Principles Committee.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether a formal environmental impact assessment was carried out regarding CDC's Higaturu Oil Palms investment.

Hilary Benn: Environmental impact assessments were not the norm when Higaturu was first established in the 1970s. Since then Higaturu has commissioned several environmental studies.
	Most recently, in late 2002/early 2003, Higaturu achieved certification to ISO14001 for environmental management: this requires that companies have mechanisms in place for identifying potential environmental impacts and their amelioration or avoidance. Such plans are updated twice a year, and include provisions for incorporating stakeholder feedback. The environmental management system is externally audited at least annually.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the environmental concerns relating to CDC/Actis Capital's Higaturu Oil Palms investment that arose (a) in the biannual Investment Valuation Review and (b) via the Business Principles Unit; and if he will list the action plans developed in response.

Hilary Benn: CDC's and Actis' investment reviews are confidential and commercially sensitive. CDC has in place appropriate procedures for monitoring that Actis complies with its Business Principles, including monitoring of the management of the environment by investee companies.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has received regarding investee environmental regulation exemption requests in Papua New Guinea.

Hilary Benn: I have received no representations regarding investee environmental regulation exemption requests in Papua New Guinea.
	For the record, CDC does not ask for or receive exemptions on environmental regulations on investments made on its behalf by any of its managers.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the monitoring visits at Higaturu Oil Palms since 1999 that CDC/Actis Capital has (a) directly performed and (b) independently contracted.

Hilary Benn: Monitoring visits commissioned by the Pacific Rim Palm Oil Ltd. (PRPOL) Board have been effectively contracted by CDC as its owner. Since 1999, independent environmental studies have been contracted from at least four expert consultancy firms. There have been two CDC visits focused on environmental issues in 1999 and 2002 as well as a number of general monitoring visits by other CDC staff. There have been two visits by the PRPOL Board including its non-executive directors and by PRPOL's environmental manager.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the criteria for deciding whether CDC/Actis Capital investments are considered of (a) high, (b) medium and (c) low environmental risk; and who performs environmental studies of (i) high, (ii) medium and (iii) low risks.

Hilary Benn: CDC's practice has been to rate investments as high, medium or low environmental risk in accordance with a matrix similar to that used by the International Finance Corporation.
	High risk activities are those which, due to their type, scale or location have the potential for substantial adverse impact on the environment surrounding the facility and/or globally.
	Medium risk activities are those which could cause adverse impacts but these are unlikely to be irreversible or persistent. Remedial measures can more easily be implemented, and the impacts are not as diverse or sensitive as in the high risk category.
	Low risk activities are those which typically have minimal impact.
	For investments involving high risk to the environment, a formal environmental assessment by an external consultant is required. Where the environmental risk is rated medium, an environmental appraisal by an in-house specialist is required. In investments where the environmental risk is low, a routine environmental appraisal is carried out. Going forward, CDC will require Actis and other fund managers it uses to apply similar procedures and maintain similar standards.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many CDC/Actis Capital investment projects have been terminated on grounds of (a) environmental risk and (b) labour conditions.

Hilary Benn: Since 1999, there have been no occasions when environmental risks and/or labour conditions have forced an early exit from an investment.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the institutional investors in CDC/Actis Capital by contribution (a) amount and (b) proportion.

Hilary Benn: There are no institutional investors in either CDC or Actis.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what CDC/Actis Capital's policy is towards initial public offerings as a method of attracting private capital, broken down by sector.

Hilary Benn: Initial public offerings (IPOs) are a well-established method of attracting private capital. CDC does not seek to influence Actis or other fund managers it may employ in determining the suitability of an IPO in particular cases, whether by sector or any other criterion.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list CDC investment programmes aside from Actis Capital.

Hilary Benn: In addition to funds managed by Actis, CDC has funds under management with Aureos Capital, a fund specialising in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries. Aureos is owned 50:50 by Actis and NorFund.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list by (a) country, (b) sector, (c) amount and (d) proportion CDC/Actis Capital investments in (i) SME firms and (ii) funds that invest in SME firms.

Hilary Benn: CDC does not invest directly in Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) but invests in them through Aureos Capital. Data on these investments are not classified by sector. Data on amount, country and the proportion of CDC's investment devoted to SMEs in the relevant country are as follows:
	
		CDC investments held through Aureos funds
		
			  Country Amount (£000) Proportion (Percentage) 
		
		
			 Acacia fund Kenya 1,533 25 
			 Aureos Capital fund n/a 1,368 50 
			 Aureos Central America fund Costa Rica 2,187 28 
			 Aureos East Africa fund East Africa 1,099 20 
			 Aureos South Africa fund South Africa 307 28 
			 Aureos West Africa fund West Africa 857 36 
			 Ayojana fund Sri Lanka 902 50 
			 Central America Venture fund Costa Rica 6,154 38 
			 Fedha fund Tanzania 1,019 31 
			 Ghana Venture Capital fund Ghana 839 34 
			 Indian Ocean Regional fund Mauritius 2,802 39 
			 Kula fund Papua New Guinea 1,707 32 
			 Mauritius Venture Capital fund Mauritius 307 20 
			 Mozambique Investment Company Mozambique 894 26 
			 NDBVI fund Sri Lanka 925 50 
			 Takura Investment fund Zimbabwe 11 31 
			 Tanzania Venture Capital fund Tanzania 896 33 
			 Zambia Venture Capital fund Zambia 1,592 20

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has received regarding CDC/Actis Capital investment in Iraq.

Hilary Benn: I have received no representations about either CDC or Actis in respect of Iraq. There are currently no CDC investments in that country.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what resources CDC/Actis Capital (a) has directed and (b) will direct to small and medium enterprises in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: CDC has directed no resources towards Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in either Iraq or Afghanistan. It will consider propositions to do so in future on their merits.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations he has received from Rwandan officials regarding the transfer of its equity interest in the Commercial Bank of Rwanda to CDC/Actis Capital.

Hilary Benn: The Rwandan Minister of Finance, Dr. Donald Kaberuka, made an oral request at the UK—Government of Rwanda Partnership Talks, 1–2 May 2003, that DFID finance a forensic audit of the sale of Banque Commerciale du Rwanda (BCR). The sale had not been advertised at that time and CDC was not mentioned as a potential bidder.
	Minister Kaberuka wrote to DFID in July 2004 after CDC were selected as the preferred bidder and requested that the forensic audit be carried out. DFID is currently carrying out a limited tender for the work and exploring options to ensure that the audit will be seen as properly independent.
	The successful bid for an equity interest in BCR by Actis (having now taken over this function from CDC) was entirely independent of any contacts between DFID and Rwanda officials. It is not our policy to intervene or interfere in any way with the commercial judgment of Actis.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list CDC/Actis Capital holdings in funds (a) solely managed, (b) joint managed and (c) not managed by CDC/Actis Capital; and how much capital has been in each fund since 2002.

Hilary Benn: CDC invests all its funds through fund managers, whose performance it directs and monitors; to that extent, all CDC's investments are solely managed. The following data, which are at cost, relate exclusively to Actis:
	
		£000
		
			  December 2002 December 2003 June 2004 
		
		
			 (a) Funds solely managed by Actis 
			 Commonwealth Africa Investment Fund 13,873 13,873 13,873 
			 South Asia Regional Fund 31,965 31,603 24,784 
			 Nandi 18,566 10,050 3,695 
			 Actis Fund 1 1,203,583 1,239,787 1,163,623 
			 Actis Fund 2 — — 988 
			 (b) Funds jointly managed by Actis with Norfund 
			 Aureos SME Funds 27,002 24,029 25,400 
			 (c) Fund investments managed by Actis on behalf of CDC 
			 Capital Alliance Private Equity 1,887 2,340 2,340 
			 Gujarat Venture Capital 1,296 1,243 1,216 
			 H&Q Asia Pacific 3,877 3,854 3,811 
			 Nusantara Investment Fund 3,025 3,025 3,025 
			 Praxis Active Equity Fund 3,316 3,431 3,489 
			 South Africa Franchise Equity Fund 421 460 460 
			 Total invested portfolio at cost 1,308,810 1,339,630 1,246,702

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the status is of CDC/Actis Capital's Aureos investment; and what its returns have been since 2001.

Hilary Benn: Aureos is a fund jointly established by CDC and Norfund (the Norwegian Government's investment fund). CDC's investments under management with Aureos Capital amount to £25 million. As Aureos has attracted some 50 other investors into its funds, it would be a breach of their commercial confidentiality to disclose return rates on these investments.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the status of CDC/Actis Capital's partnership with CGU in China is; and if he will list its (a) holdings, (b) projects and (c) quarterly returns since 1997.

Hilary Benn: CDC operates an investment partnership in China with Aviva, as CGU is now known. The holdings, projects and returns of that partnership are a matter of commercial confidentiality.

CDC/Actis Capital

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what debt is owed to CDC/Actis Capital.

Hilary Benn: Total debt owed to CDC at cost as at 30 June 2004 was £411 million. The breakdown by borrower and amount of this debt is commercially sensitive information.

Iraq

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to promote economic development in Basrah.

Hilary Benn: Iraq's economic growth will depend not only on extensive reconstruction to make good the dilapidation of infrastructure under Saddam-Hussein, but also on wide-ranging economic reforms to promote private sector growth. We are encouraging the Iraqi Interim Government to agree an IMF programme, and debt reduction through the Paris Club.
	The international community pledged over US$32 billion for reconstruction at the Madrid Donors' Conference in October 2003. The UK and the US are also leading the G7 in pushing for generous relief of Iraq's debt. Iraq's oil revenues, currently estimated at over $20 billion per year (and with the capacity to rise substantially in the future) will, of course, be a major source of finance for growth. The Interim Government have asked for help with public administration and economic policy reform and DFID is helping with both. The aim is to strengthen planning and budgeting and to plan economic reforms that will help all of Iraq, but particularly the poorer areas such as Basra.
	In southern Iraq, DFID has funded an Emergency Infrastructure Programme that has helped to stabilise and improve infrastructure. We are starting to implement a £20.5 million project for Capacity Building for Southern Iraq Governorates (including Basra). The project will focus on strengthening planning and budgeting in the governorates so they are better able to support to the local economy and community. We are also funding a £16.5 million programme to promote employment and sustain infrastructure.

TRANSPORT

A13

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects road works on the A13 at Pitsea in Essex to be completed and diversions removed.

David Jamieson: This section of the A13 is the responsibility of Essex county council, the local highway authority. The council is carrying out the repair works which are scheduled for completion by the middle of November 2004.

Ambulances

Lembit �pik: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many road traffic accidents involving Mercedes Sprinter style ambulances there were in the last two years in England; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many of the total ambulance accidents in the last two years in England were attributed to (a) driver error and (b) mechanical failure; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  how many road traffic accidents involving Mercedes Sprinter ambulances in the last two years in England were attributed to (a) driver error and (b) mechanical failure; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The information requested is not held centrally.

Council of Ministers

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will make a Written Ministerial Statement outlining the key points on the agenda for each of the Council of Ministers' meetings at which his Department is represented in advance of each meeting;
	(2)  if he will make a Written Ministerial Statement outlining for each meeting of the Council of Ministers at which his Department is represented as soon as is practicable following that meeting (a) the key items of discussion, (b) the positions of the Government on those items, (c) the key positions taken by other member states that Ministers consider should be noted by hon. Members and (d) any preliminary discussion on the timing and the agenda of the following meeting.

David Jamieson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 13 September by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Official Report, column 1451W.

Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to encourage the greater use of electrically assisted pedal cycles in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: holding answer 15 September 2004
	Electrically assisted pedal cycles complying with the requirements in The Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycles Construction and Use Regulations 1983 are able to use facilities provided for ordinary bicycles. The Government are committed to encouraging more cycling as a healthy, useful and enjoyable means of travel.
	Our White Paper, The Future of Transport, confirmed our long-term aim to increase levels of cycling and followed the publication in June of Walking and Cycling: an action plan. That plan includes more than 40 practical actions from across Government to encourage and promote walking and cycling through improved facilities, training, education and promotion.

Electronic Consultation Papers

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his recent consultation paper, Driving at Work, is available in paper as well as electronic versions; how many pages long it is when printed out; and if he will issue a printer friendly version of this and other electronic consultation papers.

David Jamieson: Driving at Work is a guidance leaflet published by the Department and the Health and Safety Executive in September 2003. It is available in paper form from HSE Books and can be printed from the electronic version at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg382.pdf. Both versions are 24 pages long.
	The Department's consultation papers are available in hard copy from and can also be printed from our web-site using the PDF and Word format icons at the top of each document.

Eurostar

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what free capacity will be generated by the relocation of Eurostar services from Waterloo station.

Alistair Darling: Any relocation of Eurostar services from Waterloo station is a matter for Eurostar. The most effective use of track capacity is kept under review by the rail industry.

Farnborough Airfield

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Farnborough Airfield will be included in his strategy for dealing with the future needs of airport capacity in the UK.

Charlotte Atkins: The White Paper The Future of Air Transport recognises the potential of small airports, including Farnborough Airfield, to cater for business aviation demand, which is necessary due to capacity constraints at the main South East airports.
	However, it is for the operator of Farnborough Airfield to bring forward any development plans, which will need to be considered through the planning system in the normal way.

Highways Agency

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the operation of the Highways Agency's four-stage complaints procedure; and what plans he has to review its structure and operation.

David Jamieson: The Highways Agency is conducting a review of its complaints procedure that is due to be completed during the current financial year.

Oxford/Cambridge Motorway

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment has been made of the need for a motorway between Oxford and Cambridge.

David Jamieson: The Secretary of State has made no assessment of the needs for a motorway between Oxford and Cambridge.

Ports

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the outstanding UK deep sea container terminal development applications (a) which have been referred to his Department prior to formal planning applications being submitted in the form of HRO, HEO, TWAO or a standard planning application, (b) which have been subject to a scoping study and are awaiting or in the process of a public inquiry and (c) for which he has received the inspector's report following a public inquiry; and in each case when he (i) received the report and (ii) expects to announce his decision.

David Jamieson: There are three outstanding applications for deep sea container terminal developments requiring approval by the Secretary of State. The positions on each are as follows:
	The inspector's report into PO's application for a Harbour Empowerment Order to construct a port at Shellhaven (London Gateway) was received in the Department on 26 February 2004. A decision will be announced when Ministers have completed their consideration of the report and all relevant issues.
	The application by Hutchison Ports to construct a port at Bathside Bay is currently at a public inquiry which I understand is due to close this week.
	The application by Hutchison Ports for a further container terminal at Felixstowe South is due to be considered at a public inquiry starting on 26 October.

Ports

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he expects the proposals for major container port developments at Hunterston and Scapa Flow to be taken through the decision process by the autumn 2005 deadline set out in paragraph 7.28 of the Government's White Paper entitled the Future of Transport: A network for 2030.

David Jamieson: The timing of these decisions is a matter for the Scottish Executive, to whom the applications for approval would be made.

Ports

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's interpretation is of the alternative test required by the Habitats Directive when assessing environmental damage that may be created by a deep sea container terminal development proposal.

David Jamieson: In line with the European Commission's methodological guidance on the assessment of plans or projects significantly affecting Natura 2000 sites we take the view that consideration of alternatives is not confined to alternative local sites.

Public Transport (York)

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Government have provided to City of York Council in grants and other funding for public transport in each year since the unitary council was formed.

Charlotte Atkins: The table as follows details the funding City of York Council has received for all transport related issues in each year since the formation of the unitary council in April 1996.
	
		 million
		
			  Transport Policies and Programme/Local Transport Plan Capital Funding Rural Bus Subsidy Grant Rural Bus Challenge Countryside Agency Strategic Rail Authority 
		
		
			 199697 3.340 0 0 0 0 
			 199798 2.212 0 0 0 0 
			 199899 1.127 0.073 0.180 0 0 
			 19992000 1.983 0.073 0 0 0 
			 200001 2.262 0.073 0.236 0 0 
			 200102 5.995 0.093 0 0 0 
			 200203 6.155 0.107 0 0.007 0 
			 200304 7.881 0.109 0 0.044 0 
			 200405 6.302 0.123 0 0.041 1.600 
			 Total 37.257 0.651 0.416 0.092 1.600 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The Transport Policies and Programme/Local Transport Plan Capital Funding covers all aspects of transport (e.g. maintenance, road safety and public transport). There is no specific allocation within these figures for public transport; it is for the local authority to set priorities and allocate funds accordingly from its Single Capital Pot budget.
	2. The Rural Bus Subsidy Grant, Rural Bus Challenge, Countryside Agency and Strategic Rail Authority monies are all allocated solely to public transport.
	3. In addition, the local authority receives Revenue Support Grant (RSG) from the Government each year. This is a block allocation for all council services, which includes support for public transport. However, it is not possible to identify any specific allocations for public transport from within the RSG allocation.

Royal Train

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many journeys were made by the Royal Train in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: During the last five years, the Royal Train has made the following number of journeys:
	19992000: 24
	200001: 17
	200102: 15
	200203: 19
	200304: 18
	More detailed information about these journeys is published in the Annual Reports on the Grant-in-Aid for Royal Travel by Air and Rail. Copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

Transport-related Emissions

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the percentage contribution of transport-related emissions to overall UK greenhouse gas emissions.

David Jamieson: The precise percentage contribution of transport-related emissions to overall UK greenhouse gas emissions depends on how broadly transport-related emissions are defined. In particular, it varies according to how emissions from domestic and international aviation are treated, and whether, on the rail side, a share of the total emissions from power stations is included. The Government regularly publish estimates of the breakdown of greenhouse gas emissions between sectors. The most definitive source of this information is the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (available at www.naei.org.uk), which estimates that in 2002 (the most recent year for which data are available) some 20 per cent. of total UK greenhouse gas emissions came from the transport sector. Details of how this figure was calculated are set out in the NAEI.

Type Approval

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on his Department's process of Type Approval; and what assessment he has made of the recent EU judgment on its operation.

David Jamieson: Following the European Commission reasoned opinions the agency is producing new performance specifications for self-certification as part of an established programme for traffic control equipment Type Approval.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Doorstep Cold Calling

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to achieve a cross-departmental approach to combat crime and unscrupulous trading associated with doorstep cold calling.

Gerry Sutcliffe: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry launched a public consultation on the market study report by the Office of Fair Trading on 14 July. Consultees include relevant Government Departments and enforcement authorities.
	We have proposed a cross-departmental ministerial group to encourage a more joined-up approach. Ministerial colleagues take this matter very seriously and will be meeting at the earliest opportunity
	The result of the public consultation will inform consideration of the issues by the group.

Post Office Closures

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many urban post offices have closed in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I understand from Post Office Ltd. that in financial year 200304 there were a total of 1,129 urban post office closures, including 1,109 under the urban network reinvention programme. In the first quarter of this financial year, to the end of June, there were 246 urban post office closures. 206 of those closures were under the urban network reinvention programme.

Post Office Closures

Peter Pike: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received on the sub-post office urban closure programme.

Gerry Sutcliffe: DTI Ministers and officials regularly receive representations on a wide range of postal services issues, including the urban network reinvention programme.

Post Office Closures

Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Post Office branches have been proposed for closure by the Post Office under the Post Office reinvention programme; and how many have been subsequently confirmed for closure after the consultation process has been completed.

Gerry Sutcliffe: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. and I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply to the hon. Member.

EU Emissions Directive

Eric Illsley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to minimise any adverse impact of the EU Emissions Directive on industry.

Mike O'Brien: The EU emissions trading scheme is a cost effective and market friendly way of reducing C0 2 emissions. Industry's views have been taken at every stage of the process; there have been five consultations so far. The plans for implementation are well developed and will be finalised shortly.

Mass Marketing Scams

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will ask the Office of Fair Trading to investigate mass marketing scams.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) does investigate mass marketing scams. Most mass marketing scams operate from outside the UK. The OFT works with the network of enforcement agencies called ICPEN (International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network) to investigate and take action against cross-border scams.
	The OFT have taken a lead within Europe in taking action against scam mail under new powers provided by the Injunctions Directive and the Enterprise Act 2002 ('Stop Now Orders').

Offshore Wind Farms

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the development of offshore wind farms.

Mike O'Brien: The UK has some of the best wind resources in the world. It is important that these resources are properly utilised to ensure that the United Kingdom's targets for generating electricity from renewable energy sources can be met. The development of offshore wind farms can potentially provide a major contribution to those targets and the Government are committed to ensuring that the right framework is in place to enable projects to proceed where an assessment of their impacts indicates they are acceptable.
	There have been two competitive rounds of site leasing for offshore wind farms. Round 1 has resulted in 11 projects receiving development consents with two of these generating electricity and another at an early stage of construction. Government was able to announce last December that Round 2 will involve projects of a much bigger scale with the potential to provide electricity for up to 4 million homes. The developers of Round 2 projects are currently undertaking the assessment work necessary prior to submission of consent applications.

Business Support (London)

Linda Perham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance her Department provides to businesses in London.

Jacqui Smith: Assistance to business is delivered via a number of different agencies, including the London Development Agency (LDA). In financial year 200304, Business Link for London exceeded its key performance targets set by the DTI/Small Business Service, achieving:
	Market Penetration82,915 businesses assisted/advised;
	Customer Satisfaction86 per cent.;
	Intensive Assistance5,160 businesses intensively supported.
	The DTI's Grant for Research  Development (GranD) is aimed at individuals planning to start-up businesses in England and at small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) already operating in England. The grants are offered at the discretion of Government, to help businesses carry out research and development work that will lead to technologically innovative products or processes.
	During 200304, the DTI/Small Business Service made offers of grant to 145 London start-ups/SMEs. This represented funding in total of just under 9.5 million.
	The planned restructuring of business support arrangements in London, that includes the transfer of BL4L contract management and direct delivery of GranD to the London Development Agency from April 2005, will further improve DTI services to customers within the Capital.
	In 200304, the LDA, which is primarily funded by the DTI:
	Created or safeguarded 18,017 jobs (including those attributable to foreign direct investment and regional selective assistance);
	Set up or attracted 1,333 businesses to London;
	Provided support or advice to 26,937 businesses; and
	Created 26,683 learning opportunities
	In 20032004 the LDA invested over 350 million to create jobs, get people into work, support new and existing businesses and create space for businesses, homes and community facilities.
	London businesses can also access a small suite of grants, loans guarantees and subsidised consultancy to address a range of business issues provided by the DTI. These include:
	Succeeding through innovation:
	Providing practical support for the key stages of innovation or research and development. Initiatives include the Technology Programme, which provides some funding and shares some of the risks in taking new technologies to market.
	Raising finance:
	Supporting small or high growth companies to obtain investment through the Small Firms loan Guarantee, which guarantees loans from banks and other institutions for small businesses with viable proposals. London businesses can access 50 million via the Regional Venture Capital Funds (RVCFs) o provide risk capital finance in amounts up to 500,000 to Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) who demonstrate growth potential.
	Regional investment:
	Encouraging investment in specific areas of England to promote economic regeneration. Selective Finance for Investment is designed for businesses that are looking at the possibility of investing in assisted areas. The programme is discretionary and invariably takes the form of grants or occasionally a loan.
	The Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) in London offers an integrated service providing free information and advice for manufacturers large and small, although diagnostic services undertaken by highly professional MAS practitioners will be targeted on small and medium sized firms.

Renewable Energy

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Renewables Obligation Order 2005.

Mike O'Brien: The Government last week published a consultation paper proposing a number of detailed changes to improve its operation. These include increasing the level of the obligation in the period between 201011 and 201516. Following the current consultation, the Government plan to lay an order before Parliament early next year.

Renewable Energy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of the contribution of renewable energy to UK energy needs; and if she will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: Renewable energy will make a significant contribution to our energy mix. We have a target for 10 per cent. of our electricity to come from renewable sources by 2010, and our aspiration is to have 20 per cent. of electricity from renewables by 2020.

Age Discrimination

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate the Government have made of the cost of age discrimination to the UK economy in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The DTI has not made an estimate of the cost of age discrimination to the UK economy. A Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) accompanied the July 2003 'Age Matters' consultation on proposals for legislation to outlaw age discrimination in employment and vocational training. It estimated that, excluding the positive impact of a likely increase in the labour supply, the economy would benefit by about 600 million over the first 10 years of the legislation taking effect. The RIA is available on: www.dti.gov.uk/er/equality/age.htm As far as the impact of an increase in the labour supply is concerned, Winning the Generation Game (Performance and Innovation Unit, April 2000, www.cabinet-office.gov.uk/innovation/2000/wirining/generation.pdf) on the impact of ageing on the economy put the cost of early and involuntary exit from the labour market at about 16 billion each year. Some of this is attributable to age discrimination.

Agency Workers Directive

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the Agency Workers Directive.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Our position on the Agency Workers Directive remains that we support the principle of the directive but the text needs to be changed to meet the concerns of all member states. We are committed to using our best endeavours to reach an early settlement.

Airbus

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost was of support by the UK Government for the Airbus family of projects in each year since 199798 (a) gross and (b) net after loan repayments.

Jacqui Smith: The Government are a strong supporter of Airbus and have provided financial support in the form of launch investment since 1984.
	The payments by HMG to Airbus and receipts from Airbus to HMG since 199798 are set out as follows:
	
		( million actual)
		
			  Payments Receipts 
		
		
			 199798 0 85.4 
			 199899 0 134.6 
			 19992000 0 167.4 
			 200001 0 119.7 
			 200102 136 103.4 
			 200203 139 88.7 
			 200304 255 78.3

Coalminers' Compensation Scheme

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects to reach the last decile of registered coal compensation claims for (a) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and (b) vibration white finger for former miners or their widows or families in the east Midlands.

Nigel Griffiths: The Department is currently holding detailed discussions on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and plans to report progress to Sir Michael Turner, the judge who oversees the respiratory scheme, later this month when he visits the DTI's claims handlers. On claims for VWF, the Department aims to have completed all general damages offers by the end of 2004, and to have all claims settled by the end of 2005.

Consumer Codes

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many consumer codes are awaiting approval by (a) her Department and (b) the Office of Fair Trading.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The DTI has no role in the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Consumer Codes Approval System.
	We are advised by the OFT that six codes have completed the first stage of the process and are working towards OFT approval. In addition, OFT have received approaches from a further 40 organisations and of these 13 have already made formal applications.

Cross-channel Ferries

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent investigations have been carried out into the competitive nature of cross-channel ferries; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The European Commission is conducting an investigation into cross-channel transport services, to ascertain whether there is: evidence of suspected cartel agreements and related illegal practices concerning fixing of prices and trade conditions for cross-channel transport services; and evidence of suspected market sharing agreements in relation to the provision of ferry services to and from the UK.
	It is for the independent competition authorities in the UK, and for the European Commission if there is an effect on inter-state trade, to investigate competition in markets and the effects of mergers on competition in markets.

Export Support

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the lowering of the target rate in the public service agreement indicator for UK Trade and Investment to show positive assistance to new-to-export firms indicates a decreasing level of support to such businesses; and if she will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The target has been raised not lowered. A new PSA indicator, agreed in the recent Spending Review, requires at least 40 per cent. of new to export firms funded by UK Trade and Investment to improve their business performance within two years. The previous target was 30 per cent. Although the overall level of resources being allocated to trade development will be reduced following the spending review, UK Trade and Investment is committed to increasing by 30 percentage points the proportion to trade development resources focused on new to export firms.

Export Support

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry why her Department has lowered the minimum target rate to be achieved in 200406 from that most recently achieved by UK Trade and Investment in assisting new-to-export firms to improve their business performance.

Douglas Alexander: The target rate has been raised not lowered for the 200506 to 200708 period.

Foreign Direct Investment

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which (a) five countries and (b) industries accounted for the greatest amount of foreign direct investment in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 14 September 2004
	According to figures recorded by UKTI the five countries that accounted for the greatest amount of foreign direct investment in the United Kingdom in the last five years is:
	
		
			  19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 1. US US US US US 
			 2. Germany Germany Japan Canada France 
			 3. Japan Canada Canada Germany Japan 
			 4. Canada Japan France Japan Canada 
			 5. France France Germany France Germany 
		
	
	According to figures recorded by UKTI the five industries that accounted for the greatest amount of foreign direct investment in the United Kingdom in the last five years is:
	
		
			  19992000 200001 200102 200203 200304 
		
		
			 1. IT, internet and e-commerce IT, internet and e-commerce Software Software Software 
			 2. Automotive Software IT, internet and e-commerce IT, internet and e-commerce IT, internet and e-commerce 
			 3. Electronics Electronics Automotive Automotive Electronics 
			 4. Engineering Automotive Electronics Electronics Pharmaceuticals and  biotechnology 
			 5. Telecoms Telecoms Telecoms Finance Management 
		
	
	These figures are based on information provided by companies at the time of the announcement of the decision to invest in the UK. The figures take no account of subsequent developments.
	There is no requirement to notify UKTI and so the figures include only those projects where UKTI's Inward Investment Group and its regional partners were involved or which have come to their notice.

Foreign Direct Investment

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which 10 foreign companies invested the greatest amount directly in the United Kingdom in each of the past five years.

Douglas Alexander: holding answer 14 September 2004
	Individual statistical returns companies make to the Office for National Statistics and other Government organisations for all surveys, including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), are confidential, and therefore the information cannot be published.

Insolvency

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the appointment of the insolvency adjudicator.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Dame Barbara Mills DBE QC was appointed to act as the Independent Complaints Adjudicator for The Insolvency Service from 1 April 2003.
	Dame Barbara will consider complaints about the way in which The Insolvency Service has dealt with its users including bankrupts, directors of failed companies and creditors. She will consider whether the complaint is justified and recommend what, if anything, The Insolvency Service should do to put things right.
	The Adjudicator's recommendations are independent and her services are free to complainants.
	Dame Barbara also investigates complaints about the Inland Revenue, HM Customs and Excise, and the Public Guardianship Office.

Insolvency

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost has been of the review of insolvency practitioners regulations.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The current review of insolvency practitioners regulations commenced in November 2003 and is on-going.
	The cost to date is estimated to be in the region of 7,367.

International Atomic Energy Agency

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals the United Kingdom ambassador to the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) plans to make to the next annual general conference of the IAEA; whether the United Kingdom will be participating in the scientific forum being held as part of the IAEA general conference, on 21 to 22 September; and who the members of the UK delegation to the conference will be.

Nigel Griffiths: The UK will, as usual, be represented at the Agency's General Conference by a team of officials from different Government Departments, led by the UK's Governor to the IAEA. Throughout the week the UK will be negotiating and working with other member states on a wide range of issues relevant to the Agency's activities: these include nuclear safety and security, nuclear verification safeguards, and promotion of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and technology. Copies of the UK's statement to the Plenary and resolutions, which have been agreed at the conference, will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
	At present, the UK has no plans to participate in the scientific forum being held on 2122 September, as part of the IAEA General Conference.

Marine Aggregates

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the amount of marine aggregates in cubic metres dredged off the British coast in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Keith Hill: I have been asked to reply
	The Crown Estate has provided the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister with the following figures for the extraction of aggregates from British waters over the past 10 years:
	
		
			  Tonnage extracted Cubic metres extracted1 
		
		
			 1994 22,064,768 13,374,690 
			 1995 26,122,576 16,068,640 
			 1996 26,613,578 16,496,250 
			 1997 24,876,508 15,301,780 
			 1998 22,866,580 13,928,970 
			 1999 23,678,572 14,442,100 
			 2000 23,656,885 14,042,140 
			 2001 22,689,280 13,771,780 
			 2002 21,875,086 13,273,720 
			 2003 22,226,070 13,525,340 
		
	
	(11) Approximate conversion.

Parental Leave

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has to increase paid parental leave; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government introduced a substantial package of laws for working parents in April 2003, including increasing paid maternity leave, and a new right to paid paternity and adoption leave.
	The Government are committed not to make any changes to the laws for working parents before 2006, after the impact of the existing legislation has been reviewed.
	The DTI is taking forward a programme of work to explore what additional support could be provided to people balancing work and caring responsibilities, in ways that meet both individual and business needs. The work has included a series of roundtables in England, Scotland and Wales and a Citizens' Jury.

Post Office Card Accounts

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what revised guidance has been issued to post offices on the marketing of Post Office Card Accounts during the last three months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Guidance and training for subpostmasters on the procedures associated with the Post Office Card Account (POCA) are operational matters for Post Office Ltd. and I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to respond directly to the hon. Member.

Postal Services

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints she has received in the last 12 months regarding the postal service in postal districts RM1, RM2, RM5, RM7, RM11 and RM12; and what the figures are for all other London postal districts.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Complaints regarding the postal service are an operational matter for Royal Mail Group and I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

Proposed EU Patentability Directive

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the differences are between current UK copyright law and the draft of the proposed EU directive on software patentability for which the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions voted at the EU Competitiveness Council meeting on 1718 May.

Patricia Hewitt: Present UK copyright law protects an original computer program that has been recorded in some form, but does not protect the idea behind the program. The current draft of the directive does not alter copyright protection, but confirms that innovators can gain patent protection for inventions involving the use of computer programs, providing they meet existing patentability requirements, which include making a technical contribution.

Research Councils

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will estimate the proportion of Research Council grants that will go to staff costs when research councils move to funding the full economic costs of research.

Patricia Hewitt: On currently available data, Research Councils estimate that staff costs, including staff directly employed on the grant such as research assistants, make up approximately 40 per cent. of the Full Economic Cost (FEC) of current grants. Permanent academic staff (Principal Investigators and Co-Investigators) represent approximately one third of this figure.
	The Government have allocated an additional 200 million per year from 200708 (120 million from 200506) to pay more for each Research Council project. As stated in the Science and Innovation Investment Framework 200414, the Government intends that Research Councils should pay close to 100 per cent. of the FEC of their grant funded research, taking account of capital funding streams, by the beginning of the next decade.

Science Budget

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money from the Government's science budget had been spent (a) in total, (b) in Yorkshire and the Humber and (c) in the City of York in each year since 1997.

Patricia Hewitt: Total science budget expenditure in each year from 199798 to 200203 was as follows:
	
		
			  Science budget ( million) 
		
		
			 199798 1,331 
			 199899 1,334 
			 19992000 1,394 
			 200001 1,514 
			 200102 1,707 
			 200203 2,032 
		
	
	Research Council grants allocated to Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Yorkshire and Humber and the City of York from 199798 to 200203 were as follows:
	
		 million
		
			  Total UK Research Council grants Yorkshire and Humber York 
		
		
			 199798 534 39.6 6.5 
			 199899 560 44.1 7.1 
			 19992000 604 50.2 7.4 
			 200001 695 57.1 8.7 
			 200102 805 65.0 10 
			 200203 820 66.5 11.6 
		
	
	Source :
	Higher Education Statistics AgencyResources of Higher Education Institutions
	In addition, over this period, HEIs in Yorkshire and Humber received 117 million (of which 31 million went to the City of York) in infrastructure and knowledge transfer support, which was co-funded from the DfES and the OST science budget.

Small Mines (Compensation)

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Government's claims handlers expect to settle outstanding issues in relation to small mine employment and occupational respiratory disease issues.

Nigel Griffiths: Following agreement in principle in February 2004 good progress has been made in operational planning for the issuing of offers to small mines claimants. Software development scheduled for completion toward the end of September will allow the calculation of full and final offers to commence.

Sunday Trading

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to deregulate Sunday trading.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 13 September 2004
	We have no plans to do so.

Tissue Products

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the cost to public service provider purchasing departments of inaccurate labelling of tissue products in the last year for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: None.

Trading Standards

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what support she will give to local trading standards authorities seeking to protect the public from mass marketing scams.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We have provided funding to Trading Standards to support and encourage more joined up effective enforcement; the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has also assisted Trading Standards Departments by providing training to around 2,500 Trading Standards Officers over the past year.
	Most mass marketing scams operate from outside the UK. The OFT works with the network of enforcement agencies called ICPEN (International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network) to investigate and take action against cross-border scams.

UK Trade and Investment Website

James Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to introduce (a) new and (b) increased charges for information, advice or assistance obtained by British businesses through the website of UK Trade and Investment.

Douglas Alexander: Arising from the Spending Review 2004 settlement, UK Trade and Investment are seeking to achieve efficiency gains through consideration of greater cost recovery for its services. Officials are considering options on how best to achieve this.

Unsolicited Goods and Services Act 1971

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints have been made under the terms of the Unsolicited Goods and Services Act 1971 (a) since the introduction of the Act and (b) in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 13 September 2004
	The Department of Trade and Industry does not collect statistics relating to the number of complaints made under the Unsolicited Goods and Services Act 1971.
	Local authority trading standards departments are responsible for enforcement of the Act and will each record their own complaints data.

Working Hours

Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the percentage change in the hours worked per capita in the UK in (a) 1970 to 1980, (b) 1981 to 1997 and (c) 1998 to the latest available year.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information is as follows:
	(a) Unfortunately no data for this time period is available on the Labour Force Survey.
	(b) The Labour Force Survey reweighted data starts from 1992. The change in hours worked (that is total hours worked and excluding overtime) from spring 1992 to spring 1997 is 0.08 per cent.
	(c) The change in hours (that is total hours worked and excluding overtime) worked from spring 1998 to spring 2004 is 0.59 per cent.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Children in Poverty

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate the Government have made of (a) how many and (b) what percentage of children lived in poverty in (i) St. Helens and (ii) the UK, broken down by region, in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what estimate the Government have made of (a) how many and (b) what percentage of children lived in low-income households in (i) St. Helens and (ii) the UK, broken down by region, in each year since 1997;
	(3)  what the Government's performance has been against each of its child poverty reduction targets in (a) St. Helens and (b) the UK, broken down by region, since 1997.

Chris Pond: Poverty and social exclusion are complex and multi-dimensional issues, affecting many aspects of peoples' livesincluding their living standards, health, housing, the quality of their environmentand not just low income. The sixth annual Opportunity For All report (Cm 6329) sets out the Governments strategy for tackling poverty and social exclusion and presents information on the indicators used to measure progress against this strategy.
	Specific information regarding low income for Great Britain and the United Kingdom is available in Households Below Average Income 199495 to 200203. Data are not available below regional level.
	Measuring Child Poverty, published in December 2003, outlines the Government's measure of UK child poverty for the long term. This new measure will begin from 200405.
	All publications listed are available in the Library.

Benefit Claimants (Faversham)

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many people in Faversham are claiming (a) jobseeker's allowance and (b) incapacity benefit or their equivalents; and how many were doing so in 1997;
	(2)  how many people in the Faversham and Mid-Kent constituency are claiming (a) jobseeker's allowance and (b) incapacity benefit or their equivalents; and how many were doing so in 1997.

Chris Pond: The available information is in the tables.
	
		Incapacity benefits claimants: May 1997 and May 2004
		
			  Thousand 
		
		
			 May 1997  
			 Great Britain 2,739.3 
			 Swale local authority 4.3 
			 Faversham and Mid-Kent parliamentary constituency 2.5 
			   
			 May 2004  
			 Great Britain 2,708.7 
			 Swale local authority 5.1 
			 Faversham and Mid-Kent parliamentary constituency 3.1 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Incapacity benefits claimants includes all incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants, including those receiving national insurance credits only.
	2. Figures are shown in thousands and are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. samples.
	
		Jobseeker's allowance claimants: May 1997 and May 2004
		
			  Swale local authority Faversham and Mid-Kent parliamentary constituency 
		
		
			 May 1997 3,508 1,715 
			 May 2004 1,450 634 
		
	
	Source:
	Count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems.

Benefits

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total cost of benefits paid was in (a) 199798 and (b) the most recent year for which figures are available.

Chris Pond: The total benefit expenditure for Great Britain, in nominal terms, in 199798 was 93,342 million; in 200203 it was 110,282 million.

Benefits

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have (a) nominated agents to collect state benefits on their behalf and (b) made formal appointments for third parties to receive and handle the administration of benefits on their behalf on account of their lack of mental capacity.

Chris Pond: The only information available is for pension credit and income support.
	In Great Britain, as at February 2004, there were 100,400 pension credit claimants and 53,200 income support claimants with an agent.
	In Great Britain, as at the end of February 2004, there were 174,700 pension credit and 118,200 income support claimants with appointees.
	It is not possible to state how many people have appointees in cases of lack of mental capacity as this information is not collated centrally.

Bereavement Benefits

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to change the operation of the bereaved parents allowance.

Chris Pond: Bereavement benefits were introduced on 9 April 2001, and for the first time extended support to both widows and widowers following the death of a spouse. These new benefits concentrate the help available where it is most needed; on immediate needs and on families with children.
	Widowed parent's allowance is a weekly benefit payable to widowed parents who satisfy the qualifying conditions. The bereavement payment is a lump sum payment of 2,000 payable immediately to help with costs arising on bereavement. In addition, bereavement allowance is a weekly benefit payable, for 52 weeks following widowhood, to widows and widowers aged 45 and over without dependant children.
	We have no plans to change these arrangements.

Bereavement Benefits

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will provide a Written Ministerial Statement outlining the key points on the agenda for each of the Council of Ministers' meetings at which his Department is represented in advance of each meeting;
	(2)  if he will provide a Written Ministerial Statement outlining for each meeting of the Council of Ministers at which his Department is represented as soon as is practicable following that meeting (a) the key items of discussion, (b) the positions of the Government on those items, (c) the key positions taken by other member states that Ministers consider should be noted by hon. Members and (d) any preliminary discussion on the timing and the agenda of the following meeting.

Chris Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, on 13 September 2004, Official Report, column 1451.

Bereavement Benefits

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what training is provided to staff of his Department to enable them to give sufficient advice to those who are bereaved on what benefits are available to them.

Maria Eagle: Staff who deal with bereavement benefits claims have extensive technical training on those benefits before commencing their job. The training includes both classroom lessons and computer based material. Although primarily aimed at staff who process benefit claims, the training can also assist Personal Advisors and Financial Assessors in gaining a comprehensive understanding of these benefits.
	Additionally, further computer-based learning on the availability of bereavement benefits can be accessed by all staff who are likely to come into contact with, and give advice to, recently bereaved customers.
	All staff dealing with customers have access to benefit guides, including guides on bereavement benefits.

Canteen Facilities

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of running his Department's canteen facilities was in (a) 199697 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: DWP was formed in June 2001 from the former Department of Social Security (DSS), and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) including the Employment Service. The first year for which figures for the cost of running the former DSS canteen facilities are available is the financial year 199899 for which the cost was 2.7 million. The most recent figures available for DWP are for the financial year 200304 for which the cost was 3.7 million. Information is not available centrally for the former DfEE.

Child Support

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets his Department has set for the number of errors reported in Child Support Agency cases next year.

Chris Pond: The Child Support Agency's targets are published within its annual Business Plan.
	The target for the current year is that by 31 March 2005 accuracy on the last decision for all maintenance calculations checked to be correct to the nearest penny in at least 90 per cent. of cases.

Child Support

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will make arrangements to pay the money owing to Jennifer Oakes of Noctorum Avenue, Birkenhead, paid to him in error by the Child Support Agency.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Frank Field, dated 16 September 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when he will make arrangements to pay the money owing to Jennifer Oakes of Noctorum Avenue Birkenhead paid to him in error by the Child Support Agency.
	As individual cases are confidential, I will write to you separately about this case. This is in line with paragraph 12, part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

Child Support

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the change in the number of errors reported under the new Child Support scheme.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Anne McIntosh, dated 16 September 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement on the change of the number of errors reported under the new Child Support Scheme.
	In the year to 31 March 2003 the Agency's accuracy rate in calculating child maintenance assessments was 83.8 per cent. against a target of 80 per cent. This tested that the assessment was accurate to the nearest penny. In the year to 31 March 2004 the accuracy rate was 85.7 per cent. for old scheme cases against a target of 82 per cent. and 82 per cent. for new scheme cases against a target of 90 per cent. The new scheme was only introduced on 3 March 2003.

Child Support

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures his Department is taking to ensure that the number of Child Support Agency cases containing errors is reduced.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Miss McIntosh, dated 16 September 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what measures his Department is taking to ensure that the number of Child Support cases containing errors is reduced.
	The Agency has processes in place to regularly check the accuracy of its work. The teams responsible for that activity provide regular feedback to its operational teams so that they can learn from and remove identified causes of error. This is reinforced by a continuing education programme and regular team meetings at which quality is discussed.

Child Support

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to assess all Child Support Agency cases under the new criteria.

Chris Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave him on 18 December 2003, Official Report, column 1092W.

Child Support

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the operation of the Child Support Agency's computer systems.

Chris Pond: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Bob Spink, dated 16 September 2004
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if he will make a statement about the operation of the Child Support Agency's computer systems.
	Mr. Smith has made regular reports to Parliament on the implementation of Child Support Reform on the 16 July 2003, 18 November 2003, 12 February 2004, 21 April 2004 and 22 July 2004.
	The Agency is currently supported in its work by two computer systems: CSCS which is supported and maintained by EDS; and CS2 which is provided as a managed service by EDS. CSCS provides support to those clients whose applications were received before March 2003. CS2 provides support in handling both clients whose applications were received after 3 March 2003 or whose cases are in some relevant way linked to applications made after that date. EDS is meeting its contracted levels of service for CSCS. However, there are well documented defects within CS2 that have caused difficulties for clients. We are consequently withholding a proportion of the monthly payments for the service offered by CS2, under the terms of our contract with EDS. EDS is currently part way through a recovery programme intended to remove those defects.

Child Support

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether his Department has set a timetable for the transfer of existing child support agency customers to the new system;
	(2)  when existing Child Support Agency claimants will be transferred to the new system for calculating child maintenance; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 18 December 2003, Official Report, column 1092W.

Civil Service Recruitment

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact on services of the proposals to reduce civil service jobs in his Department.

Maria Eagle: The Department's plans to reduce its staffing levels are part of a four year programme of modernisation made possible by a significant investment of public money. The investment has enabled the Department to streamline its processes, modernise its IT and improve its service to customers as a result. The first phase of these plans designed to increase the efficiency of benefit processing was announced to the House on 29 June. The latest phase of the Department's continuing modernisation programme was announced by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State in a written ministerial statement earlier today.

CSA

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects all absent parents to be assessed under the same criteria for Child Support Agency payments; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave him on 18 December 2003, Official Report, column 1092W.

Departmental Expenditure

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its predecessor Department spent on (a) mobile phone costs, (b) hospitality and (c) taxi costs in (i) 199697 and (ii) the latest year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 from the Department of Social Security (DSS), Employment Service (ES), and parts of the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE). The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) were added in 200203.
	Information is not available in the format requested. Expenditure on taxis is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Such information as is available on: (a) mobile phones; and (b) hospitality is set out in the following table:
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 (a) Mobile phones  
			 199697(12) 1.258 
			 200304 (DWP) 3.769 
			   
			 (b) Hospitality  
			 199697(13) 0.147 
			 200304 (DWP) 0.123 
		
	
	(12) Figures available for former DSS only.
	(13) All DWP components.

Departmental Staff

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were employed in the Department in each of the last three years; and how many were employed on short-term contracts in each year.

Maria Eagle: Information on the number of staff awarded short term contracts within a given period is not held. Information on the number of staff employed on short term contracts at specific dates over the last three years is in the table.
	
		
			 At 31 March Number of staff 
		
		
			 2002 4,206 
			 2003 2,788 
			 2004 4,621 
		
	
	Notes:
	Figures are point in time at the date shown.
	Figures are expressed in headcount terms.

Departmental Staff

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the turnover rate of staff in the Department and each of its agencies was in the last year for which figures are available.

Maria Eagle: Information on turnover in the Department and each of its Agencies for the year ending 31 March 2004 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Turnover Rate (percentage) 
		
		
			 Appeals Service 6.0 
			 Child Support Agency 8.9 
			 Jobcentre Plus 5.7 
			 The Pension Service 7.6 
			 The Department 4.4 
			 Total Department for Work and Pensions 6.1

Destination of Benefit Leavers Survey

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost is of carrying out the Destination of Benefit Leavers Survey; what information he expects to obtain from it; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: The 2004 Destination of Benefit Leavers Survey is currently being carried out. The estimated cost of the survey is 488,000. Plans are in place to publish the key findings from the 2004 Destination of Benefit Leavers Survey in early 2005.
	The research aims to collect information on the immediate destinations of around 20,000 income support, incapacity benefit or jobseeker allowance (JSA) unknown destination benefit leavers. Specifically, we are looking to obtain information on why the claimant has left benefit (for example, they have moved into work, training or education); details of hours worked and earnings (if the destinations is into work); current activity (at the time of interview); and demographic information not already held administratively by the Department.
	This is a repeat of the 2003 survey. A copy of the report (2003 Destination of Benefit Leavers in-house research report No. 132) is available in the Library.
	At present, comprehensive information on immediate destinations is collected for JSA recipients only. The information gathered via the destination survey is, therefore, an important and significant development to the Department's analytical evidence base and will enable the Department to monitor and evaluate the number of claimants flowing off benefits and into work from the three key working age benefits.
	The survey is part of a wider package of work that is being carried out to improve our information and is an interim measure for collection of destinations data until future income support and incapacity benefit administrative solutions are introduced in late 2004/early 2005.

Disability Living Allowance

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what plans he has to allow people to claim disability living allowance if they become ill after the age of 65; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the upper age limit is for claiming disability living allowance; for what reason (a) there is an upper age limit and (b) the limit is set at that age; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: It is normal for social security schemes to contain different provisions for people at different stages of their lives, and we have no plans to change the rules which preclude people aged 65 or over from entitlement to disability living allowance unless they claimed and qualified for it before reaching that age. This is because the benefit is focussed on providing help with the disability-related extra costs of people who are severely disabled early, or relatively early, in life. Help with those costs for people for whom the onset of disability comes with old age is provided by attendance allowance as part of the wide range of support that the Government make available to older people so that they can have a decent and secure income in retirement and share fairly in the rising prosperity of the country.

Disabled People

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the major initiatives since 1997 that the Government has taken to (a) advance the cause of disabled people and (b) highlight disability, especially with regard to overcoming discrimination.

Maria Eagle: Since 1997, we have introduced a wide range of significant measures that have improved civil rights and opportunities for disabled people, including:
	
		
			  Major initiatives 
		
		
			 December 1997 The Government set up the Disability Rights Task Force to consider how best to secure our 1997 Manifesto commitment to look at comprehensive and enforceable civil rights for disabled people. 
			 December 1998 Employment provisions of Disability Discrimination Act extended to employers with 15 or more employees (previously 20 or more). 
			 January 1999 All new rail vehicles have to comply with Rail Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 1998. 
			 June 1999 See the person information campaign which aimed to challenge negative stereotypical thinking about disability and disabled people, to raise awareness of the DDA requirement (coming into effect from October 1999) on service providers to consider reasonable adjustments to the ways they deliver services. 
			 July 1999 Disability Rights Commission Act 1999 gains Royal Assent. 
			 October 1999 Further DDA rights of access to goods and services came into force, meaning service providers have to alter a policy, practice or procedure which prevents a disabled person accessing a service, or to provide an auxiliary aid or service, or provide a service by a reasonably alternative means. 
			 February 2000 Direct Payments were extended to older disabled people. 
			 April 2000 Disability Rights Commission commenced activity. 
			 June 2000 Attendance Allowance and the care component of Disability Living were extended to an estimated 2,000 self-funders in local authority owned/managed residential care homes. 
			 June 2000 The day of discharge from hospital has been treated, for the purpose of payments of Attendance Allowance and the Disability Living Allowance care component, as being a day out of hospital. This is benefiting an estimated 50,000 people per year. 
			 September 2000 Department of Health began to undertake a project to Modernise Hearing Aid Services. In the first 18 months, 20 sites piloted provision of a service which assessed patients' more thoroughly, providing binaural aids where indicated, and digital hearing aids where this provides the best solution to the patient. 
			 October 2000 Government agrees the EU Article 13 Employment Directive to combat discrimination in employment and vocational training on grounds of disability, age, religion/belief, sexual orientation. 
			 October 2000 The What have you got to offer? campaign which targeted SME business sector in particular, and used straightforward examples of the kinds of changes under the DDA, which make services accessible to disabled customers. 
			 December 2000 Public Service Vehicle Regulations 2000 became applicable to all new buses and coaches with more than 22 passengers used on local and scheduled services. 
			 March 2001 Regulations introduced requiring licensed taxi drivers to accept assistance dogs and to carry them free of charge. 
			 March 2001 'Valuing People' was published. This is the first White Paper on learning disability for thirty years. 
			 April 2001 Launch of WORKSTEP programme providing support in jobs for disabled people. 
			 April 2001 The Disability Living Allowance higher rate mobility component was extended to severely disabled three and four year old children who are unable, or virtually unable, to walk. This change provides extra help worth 41.05 a week to the families of over 7,000 severely disabled children. 
			 May 2001 Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 (SENDA) gains Royal Assent. The Act brings within scope of the DDA's discrimination provisions, disabled pupils and students. 
			 June 2001 Introduced statutory minimum requirement for concessionary travel, ensuring that certain groups of disabled people have access to half-fares on local buses. 
			 July 2001 National Extension of New Deal for Disabled People. 
			 August 2001 'Valuing People' Implementation Guidance was published. 
			 December 2001 The Learning Disability Task Force held their first meeting. The Learning Disabilities Taskforce is a team of academic experts, representatives of voluntary organisations, health and social care professionals, family carers and people with learning difficulties charged with finding ways to turn the ideas in Valuing People, into reality. 
			 December 2001 The Mencap helpline was launched. It is funded by the Department of Health and Mencap. They offer advice on learning disability issues. 
			 January 2002 The Open to Change campaign which was aimed at encouraging SMEs to find out more about what reasonable adjustments should be made under the DDA, to ensure their services were available to disabled customers. 
			 February 2002 The Valuing People Support Team became fully operational. The team works to improve services for people with learning disabilities through regional programmes of events, networks and support to groups and partnership boards. 
			 April 2002 The Learning Disability Development Fund (LDDF) was introduced. It provides central support for key aspects of 'Valuing People.' 
			 September 2002 First duties of SENDA came into force in September 2002. 
			 October 2002 The Direct Payments Development Fund (DPDF) was announced, to encourage investment in direct payments support services. This money (9 million over the next three financial years) is being targeted at national, regional and local voluntary organisations, in partnership with local councils, to enable them to play a significant role in the development and promotion of direct payments. 
			 November 2002 The Wheelchair Collaborative was launched to bring about significant improvements in services. It was developed in partnership with the NHS Modernisation Agency, the Department of Health and the Audit Commission. 
			 December 2002 Department of Health Ministers appointed a multidisciplinary External Reference Group to provide advice on issues which the National Service Framework for Long-Term Conditions should cover. This National service Framework focuses on improving the standard and quality of services for people with neurological conditions and addressing some of the common issues that can promote independence for people with long term conditions, like information and support for families and carers, and access community equipment and wheelchairs. 
			 October 2002 Legislation requiring drivers of regulated buses and coaches to provide reasonable assistance to disabled people. 
			 20012003 Produced a series of TV 'fillers' to tackle discrimination by using positive portrayals of disabled people in a range of roles and settings. These have generated millions of pounds worth of coverage. 
			 January 2003 Government announced intention to publish a draft Disability Discrimination Bill. 
			 March 2003 Regulations introduced requiring licensed private hire vehicle operators and drivers to accept assistance dogs and to carry them free of charge. 
			 April 2003 The Disability Discrimination (Blind and Partially Sighted Persons) Regulations 2003 came into force. People who are certified as blind or partially sighted, or registered as blind or partially sighted by a local authority, automatically deemed disabled for DDA purposes. 
			 April 2003 Regulations came into force requiring councils to offer direct payments to people using community care services who can choose to have them. 
			 July 2003 DDA 1995 (Amendment) Regulations 2003 approved by Parliament. These include significant measures that will bring over one million additional employers, and a further seven million jobs, within the scope of the DDA. Measures come into effect in October 2004. They implement disability provisions of the Article 13 Employment Directive. 
			 October 2003 Start of the first three Pathways to Work pilots. 
			 November 2003 Began public consultation on setting an end date for rail vehicle accessibility and for refurbishment of rail vehicles. 
			 November 2003 Laid Regulations to give effect to the Article 13 Directive's requirements as they affect occupational pension schemes for disabled employees. Measures come into effect in October 2004. 
			 December 2003 Draft Disability Discrimination Bill published. 
			 April 2004 Information campaign to tell Small to Medium Sized Enterprises about the changes they need to consider under the new October 2004 duties of the DDA. The campaign used Direct mail, radio, press and email to communicate with businesses. 
			 May 2004 The disabled people and carers section of the new Direct.gov site, provides information of practical, personal relevance to disabled people including information on government services, and steps to find out more about those services. 
			 May 2004 The draft bill underwent a thorough pre-legislative scrutiny process by a Joint Committee of both Houses of Parliament. The Committee published its response to Government on 27 May, containing 75 recommendations. 
			 July 2004 The Government's response to the Scrutiny Committee's recommendations published. The Bill will further extend disabled people's civil rights in respect of the public sector, transport, premises, private clubs and the definition of disability. 
		
	
	We have also announced future measures to improve and broaden civil rights for disabled people:
	
		
			  Major initiatives 
		
		
			 October 2004 Final rights of access to goods and services in DDA come into effect, which mean that service providers have to, where reasonable, remove, alter or avoid physical features which act as barriers to disabled people accessing their services. 
			 September 2005 SEN DA duty to remove or alter physical features in post-16 education sector comes into force. 
			 January 2005 New buses up to 7.5 tonnes and coaches will have improved access for wheelchair users. 
			 January 2015 All buses up to 7.5 tonnes will be fully accessible. 
			 January 2016 All full size single deck buses over 7.5 tonnes will be fully accessible. 
			 January 2017 All double deck buses will be fully accessible. 
			 January 2020 All coaches will be fully accessible.

Exceptions Service

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance is given to local job centre offices on responding to inquiries made by recipients of benefits and retirement pension who wish to continue collecting their payments by cash rather than direct payment; what the eligibility criteria will be for those who wish to join the Exceptions Service; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: Direct payment is now the normal method of payment. The Department provides Jobcentre Plus staff with the factual information they need to give to customers, in order for customers themselves to choose the account which best meets their needs and circumstances.
	All existing customers, not yet paid by direct payment, are being contacted to invite them to provide account details. Customers who advise the Department that they are unable to open or manage an account will be paid by cheque payment.
	The cheque payment is only intended for those customers who we cannot pay by direct payment; it is not an alternative payment option.

Hepatitis C

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2004, Official Report, columns 13379W, on Hepatitis C, whether the proposed housing benefit and council tax benefit regulations to which he referred have been laid before Parliament.

Chris Pond: The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments) (No. 2) Regulations 2004 (Statutory Instrument 1141 of 2004) were laid before Parliament on 21 April 2004 and came into force on 12 May 2004.
	As a result, payments made under the Hepatitis C Ex-Gratia Payment Scheme to people who are infected with Hepatitis C are now disregarded fully when calculating entitlement to housing benefit and council tax benefit.

Housing and Council Tax Benefits

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the value of housing and council tax benefit fraud and error detected in (a) each local authority and (b) total in 200203.

Chris Pond: holding answer 15 September 2004
	The information is not currently available. The Department is currently developing a methodology that will enable us to produce robust estimates of the value of fraud and error detected.
	However, the latest report on estimated Fraud and Error in Housing Benefit, April 2002 to September 2003, was published on 12 August. The findings about the overall levels of housing benefit (HB) fraud and error, in 200203, are that around 550 million (5.0 per cent.) of HB expenditure within the scope of the Housing Benefit Review (HBR) sample is estimated to have been overpaid due to fraud or error; and a further 150 million is estimated, via the use of a rough extrapolation, to have been overpaid in HB expenditure outside the scope the HBR sampling.
	Copies of the report are available in the Library.

Laryngectomies

Helen Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to review the classification of disabled people who have had laryngectomies.

Maria Eagle: People who have had laryngectomies can qualify for the full range of social security benefits and pensions if they satisfy the rules which govern entitlement. They can also be disabled persons for the purposes of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 if they experience a long-term substantial adverse effect on their ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities.

Means-tested Benefits

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of (a) households and (b) people in receipt of means-tested benefits.

Chris Pond: The information is in the table.
	
		Income related benefit recipients, Great Britain: May 2002
		
			  Income-related benefit recipients 
		
		
			 Claimants 6,250,000 
			 Total adult beneficiaries 7,440,000 
			 Total beneficiaries 10,330,000 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The figures are based on 1 per cent. and 5 per cent. samples and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	2. Due to the procedures used to remove overlaps between the figures, the figures are rounded to the nearest ten thousand.
	3. Council tax benefit data excludes any Second Adult Rebate cases.
	4. Housing benefit data excludes any Extended Payments.
	5. Income related benefits are classed as income support, income-based jobseeker's allowance, housing benefit and council tax benefit.
	6. Claimants are benefit units in which the customer and/or partner are in receipt of income related benefits.
	7. Total adult beneficiaries refers to the sum of all customers and partners in receipt of income related benefits.
	8. Total beneficiaries refers to the sum of all customers, partners and dependants in receipt of income related benefits.
	9. Benefit units may be a single person, couple or family.
	10. Overlaps between benefits have been removed.
	Source:
	Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, Annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 2002. DWP Information Centre, per cent., sample (IS/JSA).

Myasthenia Gravis

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on benefit entitlement for those diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on benefit entitlement for individuals diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.

Maria Eagle: We do not pay benefits based on medical diagnosis.
	Incapacity benefit is intended to provide a source of income for sick and disabled people of working age who are unable to work.
	Entitlement to disability living allowance is based on walking difficulties and/or the need for personal care which results from severe disability. The customer's medical condition is not, necessarily, the key factor. Rather it is the disablement that results from it and the effects of that disablement.
	We are ensuring that the benefit system encourages and promotes work where possible. However, we recognise that those with the most severe conditions may never be able to work, and benefits provide security for those for whom work is not an option.

New Deal for Disabled People

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether organisations who have contracts to help deliver the New Deal for Disabled People will be paid for getting unemployed disabled people into work above the targets which those organisations have been set for so doing.

Jane Kennedy: Target levels for organisations supporting the delivery of the New Deal for Disabled People are agreed and specified within the Department's contracts with them. Any variation of those contracts is at the discretion of the Department and subject to our agreement through contract re-negotiation.

Pension Collection (Giros)

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will arrange for those pensioners who continue to draw their pensions by way of Giros to have the option of having the Giros sent to the local Post Office where they will be cashed.

Chris Pond: Under normal arrangements when customers are paid by cheque, payment is sent to their home address.
	Cheques can be paid into bank/building societies as well as being cashed at Post Offices; however, all cheques over the value of 350 have to be paid into a bank/building society account.
	Sending cheques directly to the Post Office does not provide the same opportunity for casual agent encashment.
	There are no plans in place to change these existing arrangements.
	The same outcome would be achieved if customers choose to have their pension or benefit paid by Direct Payment into an account which is accessible at the Post Office. Many current accounts, basic bank accounts as well as the Post Office Card Account offer this facility.
	Payment by Direct Payment would also provide customers with additional benefits. Depending on the account they choose, customers will be able to take advantage of all financial services available including:
	discounts on some bills paid by direct debit;
	a cheque-book and a debit card;
	and they will be able to withdraw as much or as little of their money as they want at any one time.

Pension Credit

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many inquiries have been received by the pension credit application line in each calendar month since creation.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of calls to the application line in each month between April 2003 and July 2004 is shown in the table.
	
		Calls to pension credit application line, April 2003 to August 2004
		
			  Calls received by application line (total) Calls in which an application was taken over the line Calls in which the customer asked for a paper application form Other calls 
		
		
			 2003 
			 April 20,810 6,110 170 14,530 
			 May 32,750 11,630 460 20,660 
			 June 60,240 29,790 850 29,600 
			 July 118,220 60,180 2,050 55,990 
			 August 181,860 87,460 4,730 89,670 
			 September 427,900 140,430 17,570 269,900 
			 October 482,780 146,680 31,240 304,860 
			 November 318,280 94,630 21,060 202,860 
			 December 193,560 57,600 14,130 121,830 
			  
			 2004 
			 January 495,560 138,870 26,140 330,550 
			 February 433,790 136,980 11,420 285,390 
			 March 430,070 136,310 13,400 280,360 
			 April 346,890 105,380 12,630 229,150 
			 May 234,580 37,780 9,640 187,160 
			 June 315,200 60,220 9,960 245,020 
			 July 239,990 28,880 8,910 202,200 
			 August 151,540 53,210 6,420 91,910 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Numbers of calls are rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. 'Other calls' include a small number which received the engaged tone or a recorded message.

Pension Credit

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of residents of Dumfries and Galloway are in receipt of pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of individual recipients of pension credit in Dumfries and Galloway at the end of August represented approximately 7.1 per cent. of the total population and 27.2 per cent. of the population aged 60 or over.

Pension Service

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many local pension centres there are; and how many staff are employed in each.

Chris Pond: There are currently 26 pension centres in addition to the centre at Tyne View Park which comprises of the National Pensions Forecasting Telephone Centre, the International Pension Centre and the National pension centre.
	Details of staffing are set out in the table.
	
		August 2004
		
			 Pension Centre Number of staff 
		
		
			 Bath PC 400 
			 Birmingham PC 366 
			 Blackpool PC 187 
			 Burnley PC 506 
			 Cwmbran PC 238 
			 Dearne Valley PC 372 
			 Derby PC 290 
			 Dundee PC 494 
			 London PC (Glasgow) 484 
			 Leicester PC 280 
			 Liverpool PC 253 
			 Motherwell PC 499 
			 London PC (Newcastle) 584 
			 Norwich BH PC 255 
			 Norwich KH PC 308 
			 Nottingham PC 238 
			 Plymouth PC 360 
			 Seaham PC 371 
			 Stockport PC 688 
			 Stockton PC 317 
			 Swansea PC 529 
			 Walsall PC 253 
			 Warrington PC 483 
			 Wolverhampton PC 378 
			 Wrexham PC 382 
			 York PC 285 
			 Pension Centres Total 9,800 
			 IPC 997 
			 NPC 986 
			 NPFTC 700 
			 Tyne View Support Team 123 
			 Management and Support 19 
			 Tyne View Park Total 2,825 
			 Total Pension Centres 12,625 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Tyne View Park (Newcastle) is often considered as one Pension Centre incorporating National Pension Centre, International Pension Centre and National Pension Forecasting Telephone Centre. However for the purpose of this response a breakdown of these areas, in addition to Management and Support staff is provided.
	2. The table shows the number of core processing and Management and Support staff in post at the end of August 2004. Staff working on Local Services, Projects and Central Functions are not included.

Pensioners

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his policy is on home visits to pensioners; and how many home visits were carried out in each quarter since the introduction of pension credit.

Malcolm Wicks: The Local Service of The Pension Service aims to provide a home visit if a pensioner requires one. The vast majority of queries can be dealt with quickly and effectively by a telephone call to a pension centre or to the pension credit application line. Those receiving home visits are typically the most vulnerable and the Local Service aims to provide help for such pensioners when they need it. During a home visit, the Local Service will offer information on pension credit and other entitlements and on other social care issues. The number of home visits carried out since April 2003 is set out in the table.
	
		Home visits by The Pension Service, April 2003 to August 2004
		
			 Quarter Number of visits 
		
		
			 2003  
			 April to June 67,464 
			 July to September 92,557 
			 October to December 112,183 
			   
			 2004  
			 January to March 148,033 
			 April to June 131,491 
			 July to August(14) 83,504 
		
	
	(14) Latest available.

Pensioners

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Mitcham and Morden received the higher rate of winter fuel allowance for over 80s in winter 200304.

Chris Pond: In winter 200304, the number of pensioners in Mitcham and Morden who received the higher rate winter fuel payment for those aged 80 or over was 2,895.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

Pensioners

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Mitcham and Morden received winter fuel allowance in winter 200304.

Chris Pond: The number of pensioners in Mitcham and Morden who received a winter fuel payment in winter 200304 was 14,220.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 5.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

Pensioners

Siobhain McDonagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in Mitcham and Morden are receiving an additional 100 in 200405 to help pay for increases to council tax.

Chris Pond: The information requested is not available. For winter 200304, there were 7,915 pensioners aged 70 or over in Mitcham and Morden who received a winter fuel payment. We expect a similar number to benefit from the one-off 70+ payment.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample.

Pensions

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment has been made by (a) Ministers and (b) officials of his Department of the research published by the TUC in June on pension take-up, with particular reference to Wales.

Chris Pond: The TUC has published new research showing which groups of employees have been the most likely to lose membership of a pensions scheme. We welcome the research that the TUC has undertaken on membership of occupational pensions. This draws substantively on data produced by the Government and underscores the importance of the measures we are taking forward through our pension reforms.
	The Pensions Bill will rebuild confidence in occupational pensions, it will strengthen the partnership between employers, individuals and the state in pension provision. The introduction of the Pension Protection Fund (supported by a Pensions regulator) will enhance protection for pension scheme members. The Bill also protects employees transferring from one employer to another with a minimum level of pension provision. In addition it will encourage individuals to build up pension savings by offering a cash transfer sum when leaving a pension scheme.
	Through our informed choice agenda we will work with our pension partners to explore and test different approaches aimed at maximising membership of employer-provided schemes. One of these is automatic enrolment where new employees automatically become members of their employer's pension scheme unless an individual opts out.
	The TUC research does not contain specific information relating to Wales. However, based on the data that is available, Wales does not appear to be significantly different to the rest of the United Kingdom in terms of trends in occupational pensions.

Pensions

Harold Best: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the operation of the new direct payment scheme for pensioners; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Pond: Independent research commissioned by DWP which is soon to be published shows that there are very high levels of satisfaction among benefit and pensions customers who have transferred to direct payment and those who have started claiming and chose to receive direct payments. Overall 91 per cent. of customers were happy with the process of setting up direct payments (the figure for pensioners was 88 per cent.). Similarly, overall 93 per cent. of customers were happy with the process of having payments made into an account (the figure for pensioners was 92 per cent.).
	The main benefits of direct payment were seen to be the increased convenience and security. Some people also feel it helps them manage their money more effectively. Most customers felt there were no disadvantages to receiving their benefit or pension by direct payment.
	The full research report will be published shortly.

Pensions

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what arrangements are being made to ensure that carers with an existing power of attorney may continue to withdraw pensions from the Post Office.

Chris Pond: holding answer 13 September 2004
	Payment direct into a bank or building society account including Post Office card account is the normal method of payment for benefits, pensions and allowances.
	The Post Office has arrangements with a wide variety of banks and building societies and depending on the account held, customers including those with power of attorney, are able to withdraw money across the counter at any post office branch.
	The Post Office card account is also available for the payment of pensions but does not support power of attorney. A power of attorney is unable to open a card account in their own name to receive pensions. However they can make use of the DWP appointee procedure to obtain pension as the carer.
	The Department is in the process of contacting all customers, including those with an existing power of attorney, who have not provided account details and asking them to do so. Customers including those holding power of attorney are being provided with all the information they need on all of their account options, including which accounts can be used at post office branches. It will be for them to decide which type of account best suits their individual needs and circumstances.

Post Office Card Account

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken to process pension payments through the use of the Post Office card account is.

Chris Pond: Information is not available in the format requested.
	Payments made through the Post Office card account use the same process as all payments direct to bank accounts. Payments are sent to BACS Ltd. in advance of the relevant three-day payment cycle. The process is designed to ensure that a payment is available for collection; in the case of the Post Office card account, by 9.00 am on the date it is due.

Statutory Appointees for State Benefits

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what formal obligations are imposed on statutory appointees for state benefits to act in the best interests of those entitled to them; and what sanctions are taken against those who fail to meet those obligations.

Chris Pond: Applicants to become an appointee are interviewed and are required to sign a declaration (on form BF56).
	This requires them to spend any money they receive from social security benefits, pensions and allowances and Inland Revenue tax credit, on behalf of, and in the interests of the benefit customer.
	They are required to sign that they have read, understood and accept the conditions of being an appointee.
	If the appointment is confirmed, the appointee is given form BF57 which repeats the message given in the BF56.
	If an appointee fails to meet their obligations, the Secretary of State may, in addition to any further action that might be appropriate, revoke the appointment.

Transitional Protection Scheme

Ken Purchase: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2004, Official Report, column 725W, on the Transitional Protection Scheme, whether local authorities will be provided by 1 January 2005 with (a) an estimate at an individual local authority level, based upon local authority certified estimate returns submitted to the Department by 31 August, of the likely financial consequences in the current financial year of the impact of the Transitional Protection Scheme and (b) estimates at an individual local authority level of the potential financial implications for the 200506 and 200607 financial years of the impact of the Transitional Protection Scheme.

Chris Pond: The amount of transitional protection to be provided to local authorities will not be known until after the end of the financial year when authorities have their subsidy claims audited.
	Further advice and information has been issued to local authorities enabling them to estimate the potential gains/losses under the new subsidy system and consequently whether they may be affected by the transitional protection arrangements. HB/CTB circular S11/2003 gave further detailed information specifically on the transitional protection scheme. HB/CTB S2/2004 notified local authorities of the change to the transitional protection scheme which increased the level of protection for local authorities. Copies of both circulars are available in the Library.
	Officials will be consulting shortly with local authority representatives to progress the details of how the transitional protection scheme will operate in practice.

HEALTH

Ambulances

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to commission an independent inquiry into the operation of the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has no plans to commission an independent inquiry into the operation of the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service.

Ambulances

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what resources his Department provides to regional ambulance services; and what assessment he has made of current levels of demand on regional ambulance services.

Rosie Winterton: There are 31 national health service ambulance trusts in England. Primary care trusts (PCTs) commission health services to meet the needs of their local population, in partnership with strategic health authorities (SHAs) and other local stakeholders. In line with Shifting the Balance of Power, it is the responsibility of PCTs to determine how best to use their overall allocations to meet national and local priorities. In calculating overall budget allocations for PCTs, the Department takes into account a range of factors, including changes in demand-led activities such as ambulance journeys.
	The annual number of incidents attended by ambulance services increased by seven per cent., in 200304. As part of the review of ambulance policy and services currently underway, we are examining the possible reasons for this increase.

Ambulances

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the (a) performance and (b) emergency response provision of the Merseyside Regional Ambulance Service;
	(2)  what progress has been made by the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service in achieving national performance targets; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested on performance of the Mersey Regional Ambulance Service can be found in the statistical bulletin, Ambulance Services, England: 200304. A copy of the bulletin is available in the Library and can also be found on the Department's website at www.publications.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0411 .htm.

Asperger's Syndrome

Jonathan R Shaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to review the practice guidelines for assessing the ability of people with Asperger's syndrome to live independently;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the reasons a low percentage of adults with Asperger's syndrome are living fully independent lives;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the assistance people with Asperger's syndrome need to live fully independent lives;
	(4)  for what reason people with Asperger's syndrome are referred to as presenting a low risk to independence in the Department's publication Fair Access to Care 2003.

Stephen Ladyman: There are no plans to review the Fair access to care services practice guidance, which was updated in March 2003.
	It is a matter for social services to assess the needs of people including those with Asperger's syndrome. Each individual, regardless of any underlying condition is assessed on individual need and in the light of local eligibility criteria.
	The example in Fair access to care services does not mean that everyone with Asperger's syndrome has low support needs.

Breastfeeding

Julia Drown: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will raise with (a) Cow  Gate and (b) Milupa Department of Health guidance on breastfeeding to prevent encouragement of weaning before six months.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has widely published advice on ideal ways of weaning. However, current European legislation, implemented in the United Kingdom, provides that weaning foods may be labelled as suitable for infants from four months of age. The European Commission has indicated that it intends to review the labelling of these foods. When this review takes place, the Department and the Food Standards Agency will work closely to ensure that the labelling of weaning foods supports the Department's advice.

Carers

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what further assistance and sources of advice he intends to provide for carers; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: This Government are the first ever to recognise the contribution and concerns of carers. It developed the national carers' strategy in 1999 with carers and the organisations that represent them.
	The carers grant was introduced in 1999 to support councils in providing breaks and services for carers in England. The grant has been increased annually and has provided an extra 325 million over the last five years. It is worth 125 million this year and will continue at least until 200506, by which time it will be 185 million.
	The Carers (Equal Opportunities) Act received Royal Assent on 22 July 2004. The Act will ensure that carers are able to take up opportunities which those without caring responsibilities take for granted.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister launched the Beacon Council scheme on 7 July 2004. Supporting carers is one of the themes for the forthcoming round.
	To support carers' access to information the Department is funding Carers UK to provide advice and information in a variety of formats.

Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health has; and when their contracts will end.

Rosie Winterton: The Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) has a full staffing complement of 197 whole-time equivalent (wte) posts. At present, the CPPIH has 141.5 wte posts and 40.5 posts filled by temporary staff, including individuals on fixed term contracts and agency staff.
	The impact of the abolition of the CPPIH on staff contracts will be assessed on an individual basis with staff, as the details of the new arrangements are developed.

Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health

Ian Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on offices for the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (a) in total and (b) broken down by region.

Rosie Winterton: During the 200304 financial year, the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health spent 1.1 million on accommodation.
	The following table shows a breakdown of costs by region.
	
		
			   
		
		
			 National centre 338,779 
			 North East regional office 71,302 
			 North West regional office 70,999 
			 Yorkshire regional office 80,579 
			 East Midland regional office 61,025 
			 London regional office 125,282 
			 South East regional office 126,562 
			 South West regional office 53,928

Community Health Councils

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who devised the community health councils' replacement systems.

Rosie Winterton: The arrangements that have replaced community health councils were developed by the Government in consultation with the public, parliamentarians, the national health service, the voluntary sector and many more interested stakeholders.

Community Health Councils

Peter Bottomley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish an assessment of the benefits of replacing community health councils.

Rosie Winterton: There are no plans to publish an assessment of the benefits of replacing community health councils.

Continuing Care

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people received fully funded NHS continuing care in each year since 1997, broken down by strategic health authority; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: pursuant to his reply, 7 September 2004, Official Report, c. 1072W
	I regret that my previous reply was incorrect. It should read as follows:
	The number of people receiving national health service continuing care in 200203 and 200304, broken down by strategic health authority (SHA), is shown in the following table. The move to SHA took place in 2002. Therefore, it is not possible to provide data broken down by SHA preceding this date.
	
		
			  Number of people receiving continuing NHS healthcare 
			 Strategic Health Authority: 200203 200304 
		
		
			 Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority 927 741 
			 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Strategic Health Authority 700 830 
			 Birmingham and the Black Country Strategic Health Authority 1,165 1,107 
			 Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority 1,084 1,074 
			 County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority 904 1,374 
			 Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Strategic Health Authority 561 690 
			 Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority 343 376 
			 Essex Strategic Health Authority 834 698 
			 Greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority 1,039 984 
			 Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Health Authority 673 530 
			 Kent and Medway Strategic Health Authority 770 770 
			 Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland Strategic Health Authority 137 215 
			 Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority 127 435 
			 North and East Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire Strategic Health Authority 410 705 
			 North Central London Strategic Health Authority 294 320 
			 North East London Strategic Health Authority 812 733 
			 North West London Strategic Health Authority 500 1,468 
			 Northumberland, Tyne and W ear Strategic Health Authority 461 1,081 
			 Shropshire and Staffordshire Strategic Health Authority 673 663 
			 Somerset and Dorset Strategic Health Authority 94 241 
			 South East London Strategic Health Authority 635 580 
			 South West London Strategic Health Authority 232 433 
			 South West Peninsula Strategic Health Authority 239 516 
			 South Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority 216 192 
			 Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority 1,047 719 
			 Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority 259 632 
			 Trent Strategic Health Authority 509 928 
			 West Yorkshire Strategic Health Authority 1,374 688 
			 England 17,019 19,723 
		
	
	Source:
	Service and Financial Framework Return, Local Delivery Plan Return.

Dentistry

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices in East Lancashire have (a) wholly private, (b) wholly NHS and (c) mixed lists.

Melanie Johnson: The Department does not collect information on dentists with wholly private lists, nor on the private work of dental practices doing national health service work.
	The number of general dental services (CDS) and personal dental service (PDS) practices in the East Lancashire area is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Primary care trust Number of CDS and PDS dental practices 
		
		
			 Blackburn with Darwen 25 
			 Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale 44 
			 Hyndburn and Ribble Valley 22 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health statistics.

Digital Hearing Aids

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in providing the latest digital hearing aids in Essex; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: Since September 2000, the modernising hearing aid services project has been retaining audiologists and generally modernising services in a phased way to enable them to offer digital hearing aids to people who would benefit from them. The roll-out will be complete by April 2005.
	Digital hearing aids require different service delivery models as they incorporate information technology-based assessment and fitting procedures. A total of 30.75 million was made available from 2000 to 2003 for this project and a further 94 million will be available from 2003 to 2005.
	I am informed that the audiology department at Southend Hospital National Health Service Trust is now fully funded and up and running. All new patients are fitted with digital hearing aids. There is a programme in place for patients who have an analogue hearing aid to have appointments to have the digital aid fitted if they want one.

Food Labelling

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ask the Food Standards Agency to publish good practice guidelines for the use of the term, suitable for vegetarians, on food labels and menus.

Melanie Johnson: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 15 September 2004, Official Report, columns 164344W.

Food Labelling

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he intends to take to prevent the inclusion in foods labelled as vegetarian of processing agents derived from animals.

Melanie Johnson: On 24 September, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) plans to hold a stakeholder meeting to discuss the labelling of vegetarian products. The meeting will consider whether establishment of FSA advice for industry and enforcement authorities on use of the terms 'vegetarian' and 'vegan' would be helpful.
	The Food Safety Act 1990 and the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 already contain provisions outlawing false or misleading labelling. The FSA considers that the presence of processing agents derived from animals in a food labelled as 'suitable for vegetarians' would contravene this legislation, which is enforced by local authorities.

Forum Support Organisations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to continue support for individual health forums currently provided by forum support organisations.

Rosie Winterton: We will shortly be consulting with patients' forums about the nature of the support provided to them in the future. The details of the future arrangements will be developed after this consultation has taken place.

General Practitioners

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time general practitioners were working for the NHS in each primary care trust in the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The number of full-time general practitioners working for the national health service in each primary care trust in the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority in each year since 1997 is shown in the table.
	
		General medical practitioners (excluding registrars, retainers and locums)(15) who work full-time for Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority by primary care trust
		
			 Number (headcount) 
			   1997 1998 1999 
			   General medical practitioners (excluding registrars, retainers and locums)(15) Of which: full-time General medical practitioners (excluding registrars, retainers and locums)(15) Of which: full-time General medical practitioners (excluding registrars, retainers and locums)(15) Of which: full-time 
		
		
			 Surrey and Sussex SHA  1,412 1,200 1,432 1,190 1,431 1,180 
			 
			 Of which:
			 Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT 5L8 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Bexhill and Rother PCT 5FH n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 5LQ n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Crawley PCT 5MA n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT 5KP n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 East Surrey PCT 5KQ n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Eastbourne Downs PCT 5LR n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Guildford and Waverley PCT 5L5 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Hastings and St. Leonards PCT 5FJ n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Horsham and Chanctonbury PCT 5MC n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Mid-Sussex PCT 5FK n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 North Surrey PCT 5L6 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 5LT n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Western Sussex PCT 5L9 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
			 Woking PCT 5L7 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			   2000 2001 2002 
			   General medical practitioners (excluding registrars, retainers and locums)(15) Of which: full-time General medical practitioners (excluding registrars, retainers and locums)(15) Of which: full-time General medical practitioners (excluding registrars, retainers and locums)(15) Of which: full-time 
		
		
			 Surrey and Sussex SHA  1,442 1,176 1,455 1,163 1,483 1,140 
			 
			 Of which:
			 Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT 5L8 n/a n/a 123 103 126 104 
			 Bexhill and Rother PCT 5FH n/a n/a 47 41 46 42 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 5LQ n/a n/a 155 117 154 114 
			 Crawley PCT 5MA n/a n/a 59 53 61 52 
			 East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT 5KP n/a n/a 152 110 153 112 
			 East Surrey PCT 5KQ n/a n/a 80 63 83 65 
			 Eastbourne Downs PCT 5LR n/a n/a 93 80 93 77 
			 Guildford and Waverley PCT 5L5 n/a n/a 143 102 151 97 
			 Hastings and St. Leonards PCT 5FJ n/a n/a 48 44 51 43 
			 Horsham and Chanctonbury PCT 5MC n/a n/a 53 40 54 36 
			 Mid-Sussex PCT 5FK n/a n/a 75 64 79 61 
			 North Surrey PCT 5L6 n/a n/a 113 90 115 89 
			 Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 5LT n/a n/a 82 67 84 67 
			 Western Sussex PCT 5L9 n/a n/a 123 100 126 93 
			 Woking PCT 5L7 n/a n/a 109 89 107 88 
		
	
	
		
			   2003 
			   General medical practitioners (excluding registrars, retainers and locums)(15) Of which: full-time 
		
		
			 Surrey and Sussex SHA  1,514 1,125 
			 
			 Of which:
			 Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT 5L8 125 100 
			 Bexhill and Rother PCT 5FH 45 39 
			 Brighton and Hove City PCT 5LQ 153 110 
			 Crawley PCT 5MA 66 50 
			 East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT 5KP 161 110 
			 East Surrey PCT 5KQ 88 66 
			 Eastbourne Downs PCT 5LR 95 78 
			 Guildford and Waverley PCT 5L5 153 99 
			 Hastings and St. Leonards PCT 5FJ 50 41 
			 Horsham and Chanctonbury PCT 5MC 55 39 
			 Mid-Sussex PCT 5FK 82 63 
			 North Surrey PCT 5L6 115 86 
			 Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 5LT 84 66 
			 Western Sussex PCT 5L9 135 90 
			 Woking PCT 5L7 107 88 
		
	
	n/a = Not available.
	(15) All practitioners (excluding retainers, registrars and locums) include GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, salaried doctors, (Para 52 SFA), PMS other and flexible career scheme GPs and GP returners.
	Note:
	Data as at 1 October 199799 and 30 September 200003.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

General Practitioners

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners have (a) been recruited into and (b) retired from working for the NHS in each primary care trust in the Surrey and Sussex strategic health authority in the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

General Practitioners

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners (a) will reach retirement age and (b) are expected to retire from working for the NHS in each primary care trust in the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority over the next five years.

Rosie Winterton: The number of general practitioners, broken down by age, for each of the Primary Care Trusts in the Surrey and Sussex Strategic Health Authority area is shown in the table.
	
		General Medical Practitioners within Surrey and Sussex SHA by age band, as at 31 March 2004
		
			 Number (headcount) 
			   All General Medical Practitioners(16) Under 30 3034 3539 4044 4549 5054 5559 6064 6569 70 and over 
		
		
			 Surrey and Sussex SHA 1,842 72 242 333 371 328 246 159 71 18 2 
			  
			 5L8 Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT 155 6 23 27 37 29 20 12 1   
			 5FH Bexhill and Rother PCT 55 1 4 6 14 12 7 6 4 1  
			 5LQ Brighton and Hove City PCT 172 2 19 38 38 23 20 18 11 3  
			 5MA Crawley PCT 77 4 7 12 20 11 12 6 3 2  
			 5KP East Elmbridge and Mid Surrey PCT 195 8 23 45 34 33 28 11 10 2 1 
			 5KQ East Surrey PCT 122 7 22 22 19 22 18 7 3 1 1 
			 5LR Eastbourne Downs PCT 106 5 9 14 29 16 16 11 6   
			 5L5 Guildford and Waverley PCT 203 6 32 37 42 35 32 15 2 2  
			 5FJ Hastings and St. Leonards PCT 53 1 5 5 5 11 14 3 6 3  
			 5MC Horsham and Chanctonbury PCT 61 3 5 12 11 14 8 6 2   
			 5FK Mid Sussex PCT 104 3 15 24 25 22 7 8
			 5L6 North Surrey PCT 126 4 16 22 23 23 17 17 3 1  
			 5LT Sussex Downs and Weald PCT 110 7 13 19 23 17 17 8 4 2  
			 5L9 Western Sussex PCT 165 8 30 28 25 29 19 15 11   
			 5L7 Woking PCT 138 7 19 22 26 31 11 16 5 1  
		
	
	(16) All practitioners include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, Salaried Doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS Other, GP Retainers, and Flexible Career Scheme GPs.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

Health Forums

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to reform the procedures for the selection and appointment of members to health forums.

Rosie Winterton: We intend that responsibility for making appointments to patients' forums will be transferred to the NHS Appointments Commission (NHS AC). We will be working with the NHS AC, patients' forums, the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health and other interested parties to consider the detail of future selection and appointment procedures.

Health Services (Teesside)

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the University hospital of Hartlepool is compliant with the European Working Time Directive; and what steps are being taken to ensure it is compliant.

Melanie Johnson: holding answer 14 September 2004
	The Working Time Directive (WTD) is a legal requirement on which implementation is being taken forward locally.
	Validated information relating to individual trusts is not collected centrally. The WTD is a legal requirement and strategic health authorities are working with their trusts to support delivery.

Health Services (Teesside)

Evan Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  whether he has (a) received and (b) reconsidered the draft consultation document on the future of North Tees and Hartlepool Hospital Services produced by the Tees Services Review;
	(2)  whether the University Hospital of Hartlepool at Holdforth Road will continue to provide (a) in-patient paediatrics, (b) consultant-led obstetric deliveries, (c) emergency surgery and (d) accident and emergency services for trauma and major injuries after the implementation of the Tees Services Review;
	(3)  what terms of reference he has issued to Professor Dargi regarding the planned review of hospital services by the Tees Health Services Review.

John Hutton: holding answer 14 September 2004
	I am aware of the thinking emerging from the Tees Services Review. The Department has asked Professor Ara Darzi to carry out a further review, working with the County Durham and Tees Valley Strategic Health Authority. Professor Darzi's terms of reference are:
	To consider how the fullest possible range of services can be maintained at Hartlepool Hospital, taking into account work already undertaken in the course of the Tees Services Review and the wider context of proposed provision of primary and secondary care services, both north and south of the Tees; to report by the end of October 2004.
	Proposals for the future of health services in the Tees Valley will be developed further in the light of Professor Darzi's work. This will include detailed proposals for services to be provided at Hartlepool Hospital. Consultation of the public and patients will then follow.
	As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has already confirmed8 June 2004, Official Report, column 132Hartlepool will still have a full and proper hospital service after the review has taken place.

Health Services (Torbay)

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients were registered with GPs in the Torbay Primary Care Trust area in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Rosie Winterton: The number of national health service patients registered with general practitioners in the Torbay Primary Care Trust area for the last five years is shown in the table.
	
		Patients of Unrestricted Principals and Equivalents (UPEs)(17)for Torbay Primary Care Trust Group
		
			 Number 
			  Torbay PCT Torbay PCG 
			  5CW 4FC69 
		
		
			 1999 n/a 137,830 
			 2000 n/a 137,613 
			 2001 140,471 n/a 
			 2002 140,790 n/a 
			 2003 142,209 n/a 
		
	
	n/a = not available.
	(17) UPEs include general medical service unrestricted principals, personal medical service (PMS) contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs.
	Notes:
	Data as at 1 October 1999 and 30 September 200003.
	2003 patient data has been revised from previously published figures.
	Source:
	Department of Health general and personal medical services statistics.

Healthy Living Centres

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much Exchequer funding has been received by healthy living centres since 1999, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: Healthy living centres (HLCs) are funded by the Big Lottery Fund programme and do not receive funding from the Department. Many HLC plans included funds from statutory bodies, including the national health service and local authorities. The amounts actually provided and the regional distribution are not held centrally.

Healthy Living Centres

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many healthy living centres have (a) opened, (b) closed and (c) have discussed the possibility of closure with his Department since 1999; and if he will make a statement.

Melanie Johnson: 257 Big Lottery Fund healthy living centres have opened in England. One has closed and two have discussed the possibility of closure with their regional director of public health.

Hospices

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much financial support (a) adult and (b) children's hospices have received in the past three financial years from social services departments.

Melanie Johnson: The Department does not centrally collate information on about how much financial support hospices received from social services departments.
	The latest estimate we have available (from 2000) is that, on average, the national health service funds 28 per cent. of adult and 5 per cent. of children's hospice costs. However, this predates the allocation of an additional 50 million per annum for adult palliative care, which began in 200304, representing an increase of about 40 per cent. Funding the services provided by hospices is a matter for negotiation between the hospice concerned and the NHS primary care trusts to which the hospice provides a service. There are no limits to the amount of funding which may be provided; this is for local decision.

Knowledge Management System

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to maintain the knowledge management system when the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health is wound up.

Rosie Winterton: We are working with the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health (CPPIH) to identify ways of utilising the knowledge management system once the CPPIH has been abolished.

Lymphoedema Clinics

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what access there is to lymphoedema clinics in each primary care trust in the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic health authority area.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	It is the responsibility of primary care trusts to commission services to meet the health needs of their local communities.

Military Low Flying

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of military low flying on (a) hearing and (b) other long-term health issues.

Melanie Johnson: The Department has not funded any research or assessment of the effects of military low flying on hearing and other long-term health issues.

Myasthenia Gravis

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans his Department has to increase the numbers of consultants and doctors qualified to diagnose myasthenia gravis;
	(2)  what plans his Department has to increase the number of nurses qualified to care for patients diagnosed with myasthenia gravis.

John Hutton: Information on the number of consultants, doctors and nurses specifically qualified to diagnose and treat myasthenia gravis is not collected centrally.
	As at March 2004, there were 427 consultants in neurology. Since September 1997, numbers have increased by 149, or 54 per cent., and we are working towards increasing their numbers further.
	We are encouraging more doctors to practise neurology by expanding the number of specialist registrar (SpR) opportunities in the specialty.
	In 200304, central funding was distributed to support the implementation of 10 additional SpR posts in neurology. All the posts have now been implemented. Trusts also have the opportunity to create up to 20 locally funded SpR training opportunities. Trusts were surveyed in February 2004, when six locally funded opportunities had been implemented, with the remaining 14 planned to have been implemented by August 2004.
	In 200405, neurology has been allocated a further two centrally funded posts and strategic health authorities have been given freedom to agree as many additional SpR training opportunities as are necessary to achieve Working Time Directive compliance, subject to obtaining educational approval.
	The number of nurses overall employed in the national health service has increased by 77,500 since 1997 and we are increasing the number of training places for nurses and midwives. Between 199697 and 200304, the number of students entering training to become a nurse or midwife has increased by 9,300, or 62 per cent.

NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what long-term plans he has for the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.

Rosie Winterton: Proposals for the reconfiguration of the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA) are outlined in a report, Reconfiguring the Department of Health's Arm's Length Bodies, published on 22 July 2004. It is proposed that NHS PASA will be reshaped as part of a major programme to support the NHS in handling purchasing and supply more effectively. The Department's commercial directorate has developed plans to streamline the supply chain in the NHS. As these plans are implemented, a transformed NHS PASA will play a crucial role in applying procurement best practice to maximise savings. NHS PASA should be able to take on procurement and contracting functions from other arm's length bodies (ALBs), helping to reduce the cost of the ALB sector.

Osteoporosis

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when the national screening committee plans to review its advice on osteoporosis screening;
	(2)  what plans he has to introduce screening for osteoporosis by means of DEXA scan for those who have specified risk factors for osteoporosis; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The United Kingdom national screening committee (NSC) advises Ministers about all aspects of screening policy. The NSC assesses proposed new population screening programmes against a set of internationally recognised criteria covering the condition, the test, the treatment options and effectiveness and the acceptability of the screening programme.
	The current NSC policy is that there is insufficient evidence to offer population screening for osteoporosis. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has however commissioned a clinical guideline on the prevention, treatment and assessment of osteoporosis for those who have risk factors. The NSC will review its policy on population screening when NICE has published its clinical guideline.

Parliamentary Questions

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will answer questions (a) 187359, (b) 187360 and (c) 187361 tabled by the hon. Member for Newcastle-under-Lyme on 22 July for answer on 7 September.

John Hutton: I replied to my hon. Friend on Tuesday 14 September 2004.

Personal Social Services

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average standard spending assessment/formula spending share funding per head has been for personal social services in (a) England and (b) North Somerset in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The personal social services average standard spending assessment/formula spending share (SSA/FSS) allocation per head of total population is shown in the table.
	
		
		
			  England North Somerset 
		
		
			 199798 152 127 
			 199899 160 135 
			 19992000 169 139 
			 200001 177 146 
			 200102 181 150 
			 200203 186 155 
			 200304 224 187 
			 200405 246 208 
		
	
	Note:
	The figures are based on the latest available national and sub-national population estimates, which are derived from the 2001 census.
	The comparison shows that North Somerset's funding is always less than the England average. Each authority's SSA/FSS allocation depends on a number of factors including whether it has a large or small population, and whether it suffers from relatively high levels of need and deprivation. As a result an authority with a large population and much deprivation receives a far higher funding share than a smaller authority that has relatively low levels of need and deprivation.

Private Sector Treatment

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there are medical conditions which the national health service will not treat if the patient has previously paid for the same treatment in the private sector.

John Hutton: The national health service would generally pay for any treatment that a patient had previously received as a private patient, so long as it is a treatment normally provided by the NHS and there is appropriate clinical approval.

Specialist Drug Support

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are to be introduced to allow general practitioners easier access to specialist drug support for their patients.

Melanie Johnson: The National Treatment Agency (NTA) for substance misuse has introduced a number of measures to allow general practitioners easier access to specialist drug support for their patients.
	The NTA issued guidance to local drug treatment commissioners to ensure that enough drug treatment places are commissioned in line with the NTA guidance Models of Care and that each local area has identified referral criteria and routes between primary care and drug treatment specialist services.
	Since the introduction of the new general practitioners' contractual arrangements in April 2004, the NTA regional teams have worked hard to ensure that most drug action teams have in place a range of contractual arrangements which specify partnership and support arrangements between primary care and specialist drug treatment services. These include nationally enhanced service contracts and local enhanced service contracts.
	The Royal College of General Practitioners also has a range of training courses funded by the Department to train GPs to properly identify, refer and provide treatment for drug misusers.

Temporary Clerical and Administration Staff

Adrian Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 1 September 2004 to question reference 185185, on temporary clerical and administration staff, if he will list the benefits to hospital and primary care trusts of using the national framework agreement when hiring temporary clerical and administration staff.

John Hutton: holding answer 13 September 2004
	The use of national framework agreements (NFAs) brings a number of benefits to the national health service, for example:
	Competitive commission rates.
	Ensuring competitive pay rates for all temporary workers.
	The individual trusts no longer have to go through their own tender exercise.
	It ensures vetted and verified quality procedures for all agencies.
	It provides pre-written specifications and terms and conditions.
	The NFA continues to allow trusts the flexibility to form local service level agreements to ensure local variations are accounted for.
	The availability of individual trust management information, enabling identification and management of expenditure.
	The independent monitoring and review of the NFA and agencies by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.
	A choice of nine quality providers offering a comprehensive service and assistance with contract administration.
	The assurance that all European Union procurement legislation has been complied with.

DEFENCE

C17

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many hours the lease contract provided for the Royal Air Force to operate fleet of C17s in each year; and how many flying hours the fleet flew in each six monthly period since it entered service with the Royal Air Force.

Adam Ingram: The lease contract for the RAF's four C-17 aircraft does not restrict the number of flying hours. However, the support arrangements were initially based on an assumed annual fleet usage rate of 3,000 hours; this has been increased to 5,800 hours per annum in response to operational demands.
	The C-17 fleet entered Royal Air Force service in September 2001. Since that time, the fleet has flown in excess of 17,000 hours, broken down as follows:
	
		
			  Flying hours 
		
		
			 September 2001 to February 2002 2, 159 
			 March 2002 to August 2002 3,089 
			 September 2002 to February 2003 2,374 
			 March 2003 to August 2003 3,586 
			 September 2003 to February 2004 2,788 
			 March 2004 to August 2004 3,073

C17

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost, including the lease, support, manpower and fuel, of operating the fleet of leased C17s was for each six monthly period since it entered service with the Royal Air Force; and what the budgeted cost of each six monthly period was when the lease contract was agreed.

Adam Ingram: The following information on the lease and support costs is taken from the Major Project Report (MPR). Information about the lease contract is not recorded historically on a six monthly basis:
	
		
			   million 
		
		
			 200102 88 
			 200203 104 
			 200304 102 
		
	
	Over the same period, the total manpower and fuel costs to operate and support the fleet are 21 million and 31 million respectively, broken down as follows:
	
		 million
		
			  Manpower Fuel 
		
		
			 September 2001 to February 2002 3.4 3.5 
			 March 2002 to August 2002 3.5 5.2 
			 September 2002 to February 2003 3.5 4.2 
			 March 2003 to August 2003 3.6 7 
			 September 2003 to February 2004 3.9 5.2 
			 March 2004 to August 2004 3.9 6.6 
		
	
	I am withholding details of the lease costs and underlying aircraft price in accordance with Exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information as they are commercially sensitive.

Coastal Protection (Northern Ireland)

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the costs were of coastal protection vessels in Northern Ireland waters in each year since 1997.

Adam Ingram: The Northern Ireland patrol ships do not have distinct, identifiable budgets and the figures could only be collated at a disproportionate cost.

Defence Aviation Repair Agency

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to announce the final decision on the end-to-end review as it relates to the Defence Aviation Repair Agency.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the written statement I made earlier today to the House, on the outcome of the Air Depth Support Investment Appraisal work.

European Defence Policy

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on how much (a) manpower and (b) finance of the UK's national defence will be tied into the European defence policy.

Geoff Hoon: Under the Helsinki Headline Goal, the United Kingdom has offered up to 12,500 troops, 18 warships and 72 combat aircraft to EU operations. However, these national forces are made available to EU operations on a voluntary, case-by-case basis, as for NATO or UN operations. UK contributions to such operations are provided from within existing forces.

European Rapid Defence Force

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what forward level of (a) manpower and (b) financial commitment has been assigned to the European Rapid Defence Force.

Adam Ingram: There is no European Rapid Defence Force. National forces declared under the Helsinki Headline Goal are made available to EU operations on a voluntary, case-by-case basis, as for NATO or UN operations. UK contributions to such operations are provided from within existing forces.

Fishery Protection Vessels

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will propose a plan of renewal for Royal Navy fishery protection vessels.

Adam Ingram: At present, I have no plans for such a proposal.

Future Aircraft Carrier

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his written statement of 19 July 2004, Official Report, column 1WS, on the Future Aircraft Carrier, what role his Department will play in the proposed alliance on the CVF Programme; and what proportion of the risk he estimates his Department will assume.

Geoff Hoon: Discussions continue with a view to agreeing the roles and responsibilities of Alliance participants, including the risk and reward share arrangements. These are progressing well, the outcome will be announced in due course.
	It is planned that an Alliance Management Board (AMB) comprising the leaders of each participant organisation, will lead and collectively manage the project. As in commercial alliancing, the AMB will be led by the MOD as the client.

Iran

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action his Department is taking to ensure the return of the Royal Naval marine equipment and weapons held by the Iranian authorities.

Adam Ingram: Ministry of Defence Ministers, FCO Ministers and officials continue to press the Iranian authorities to return the boats and equipment, which they hold. Any significant developments will be announced in the House in the usual way.

Iraq

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to ensure the safety of United Kingdom personnel in Iraq following the transfer of sovereignty.

Adam Ingram: United Kingdom military personnel are thoroughly trained before deployment to Iraq and appropriately equipped to allow them to perform the tasks expected of them in theatre.

Iraq

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the required numbers of Iraqi (a) armed forces, (b) police, (c) civil defence corps and (d) border police.

Adam Ingram: We are working with the Multinational Security Transition Command (MNSTC) and the Iraqi authorities to review the required future manning levels for the Iraqi security forces. The MNSTC currently assesses that the future strength of the Iraqi armed forces will be approximately 100,000; of the police, 135,000; of the Iraqi national guard, 62,000; and of the Department for Border Security, 32,000. These figures remain under regular review.

Iraq

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to increase assistance by his Department to the Government of Iraq in its efforts to improve security.

Adam Ingram: There are currently no plans to increase the substantial support that the Department is providing to the Iraqi Interim Government in its efforts to improve security, although we keep the situation under constant review.

Iraq

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether at any stage during June, July or August he imposed a ban on press access to or news coverage of British forces serving in the Iraq theatre of operations.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 13 September 2004
	The Ministry of Defence has not banned access to, or news coverage of, British forces in Iraq. Sponsored media representatives accompanying British forces in Iraq have, on occasion, had temporary restrictions placed upon their movement, either for their own safety and that of the forces protecting them or because their reporting could put our personnel at risk.

Iraq

Kevin McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iraqi detainees are held by British troops.

Adam Ingram: As at 14 September 2004, there were no detainees, although 26 internees were being held by British troops in Iraq.

Mess Services

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to introduce mess services common to all ranks; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Although there are initiatives exploring the possibilities of combining the catering support facilities on bases, there are no plans to introduce messes common to all ranks. The separate messes for officers, senior non-commissioned officers and junior ranks allow individuals to relax and interact within their respective peer groups, and they remain an integral feature of Service life.

Scottish Regiments

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) establishment, (b) funded liability and (c) actual strength is of (i) the Highlanders, (ii) the Black Watch, (iii) the Royal Scots, (iv) the Royal Highland Fusiliers, (v) the King's Own Scottish Borders, (vi) the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, (vii) the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards and (viii) the Scots Guards.

Ivor Caplin: holding answer 13 July 2004
	Funded liabilities are not broken down below Intermediate Management Group (IMG). The establishment and actual strength of each of the Scottish Regiments, are as follows:
	
		
			 2004 Establishment Trained strength 
		
		
			 Highlanders(18) 625 525 
			 Black Watch(19) 675 635 
			 Royal Scots 620 555 
			 Royal Highland Fusiliers 620 580 
			 Kings Own Scottish Borderers 670 585 
			 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 615 570 
			 Royal Scots Dragoon Guards(20) 500 490 
			 Scots Guards 625 600 
			 F Coy Scots Guards 110 110 
		
	
	(18) Strength totals for 2004 exclude Gurkhas attached to the regiment. There were two in January 2004.
	(19) Black Watch totals exclude BW LAD REME.
	(20) RSDG totals exclude RSDG LAD REME.
	Notes:
	1. The figures are at 1 January 2004.
	2. All figures have been rounded to the nearest five.
	3. Totals are for Regular Army officers and soldiers.
	4. FTRS have been excluded.
	5. Totals include members of other cap badges, including those of arms/services attached to the unit, but exclude the two REME LADs attached to BW and SDG.
	6. Establishment and strength figures refer to the respective units* and do not include cap badge strength permanently employed elsewhere within the Army.
	* That is 1st Battalion The Highlanders, 1st Battalion The Black Watch, 1st Battalion The Royal Scots, 1st Battalion The Royal Highland Fusiliers, 1st Battalion The Kings Own Scottish Borderers, 1st Battalion The Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, 1st Battalion the Scots Guards and F Company Scots Guards.

Service Deployment

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of (a) Royal Navy and Royal Marines, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force trained strength was deployed on operations and other military tasks for (i) the final quarter of financial year 200304 and (ii) the first two quarters of financial year 200405.

Adam Ingram: Information on trained strength deployed on Operations and other Military Tasks is produced quarterly, in arrears, as part of the Ministry of Defence's assessment of performance against Spending Review 2002 Public Service Agreement targets. It is published on the MOD website (www.mod.uk) following review by the Defence Management Board, and on the Treasury Public Service Performance Reporting website (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/performance/MOD.cfm). Quarter 4 data for 200304 (January to March 2004) is given in the table (and is available on the MOD and HMT websites):
	
		Percentage of trained strength deployed on operations and other military tasks
		
			  200304 
		
		
			  Q4 
			 Navy/Marines 17.7 
			 Army 22.6 
			 RAF 12.1 
		
	
	Note:
	Percentages exclude those either preparing for, or recovering from, deployments and are quarterly averages. A list of Military Tasks can be found on the Department's website (http://www.mod.uk).
	Quarter 1 data for 200405 (April to June 2004) is currently being collected, and will be published at the end of September. We expect to publish Quarter 2 data for 200405 (July to September 2004) at the end of November.

Territorial Army Personnel

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what pension provision is made for Territorial Army personnel who are away from their civilian work for periods of six months or longer.

Ivor Caplin: The Ministry of Defence has arrangements in place to ensure that reservists who are called-out for active service with the armed forces, including those called out for periods of six months or longer, are not disadvantaged in pension terms. Individuals may have a number of pension options dependent on their personal circumstances:
	those individuals who wish to remain in their civilian pension scheme during their period of called-out service can do so and the MOD will meet the cost of the employer contribution to that scheme; or
	individuals may opt to have their period of called-out service covered by MOD's Full Time Reserve Service pension arrangements; or
	they can opt to be contracted-in to the state pension arrangements (State Second Pension).
	Those individuals who have previous service that gave them pension rights from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS) may alternatively opt for an enhancement to their AFPS pension rights.

Trooper David Clarke

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress he has made in the investigation of the death of Trooper David Clarke; what communications he has had with the family of Trooper David Clarke about the progress of the investigation; and if he will make the results of the investigation public.

Ivor Caplin: The Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch (SIB) have completed an investigation into the incident in which Trooper (Tpr) Clarke and his colleague Corporal Allbutt died. An Army Board of Inquiry (BOI) is ongoing.
	It is not departmental policy to release publicly copies of either SIB or BOI reports. However, regular contact is being maintained with Tpr Clarke's family, who are informed of all significant developments on the various processes under way. The family will receive a copy of the final BOI report when this becomes available.

Vaccination

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the simultaneous administration of anthrax and pertussis vaccine following the letter from Dr. Metters of 21 December 1990; and if he will make a statement.

Ivor Caplin: Research into the simultaneous administration of anthrax and pertussis vaccines is being addressed as part of the Ministry of Defence's Vaccines Interactions Research Programme, which is overseen by an independent research panel. The Programme includes a study by the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) which has specifically attempted to address and extend tests that NIBSC carried out using anthrax and pertussis vaccines in 1990, and which led to the communication from Dr. Metters.
	The preliminary results from the NIBSC study have been published and are available on our website at http://www.mod.uk/issues/gulfwar/research/interact.htm. The final results are being submitted for publication in peer reviewed scientific literature.

PRIME MINISTER

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister whether he authorised British military personnel to commence meetings with US personnel to plan an invasion of Iraq in mid 2002.

Tony Blair: As set out in the Butler Report, the UK and US Governments had frequent discussions about Iraq.
	However, the decision to resort to military action to ensure that Iraq fulfilled its obligations imposed by successive UN Security Council Resolutions was taken only after other routes to disarm Iraq had failed. I decided to commit UK forces after securing the approval of the House in the vote on 18 March 2003.

Iraq

Adam Price: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  pursuant to paragraph 404 of the Butler Report, on what (a) operational, (b) security and (c) other basis the Government decided against favouring sources regarded as reliable by the intelligence services that tended to present a less worrying view of Iraqi chemical and biological weapons capability;
	(2)  at what point he was informed that two thirds of the total amount of intelligence about Iraqi deception and concealment activities came from a single source;
	(3)  at what point he was informed that over four fifths of the intelligence about Iraqi deception and concealment activities came from two sources;
	(4)  at what point he was informed that human intelligence sources regarding the evidence of Saddam Hussein on weapons of mass destruction were not extensive;
	(5)  whether he had been informed prior to September 2002 of the reliability of the sub-sources who provided the information that Iraq could use chemical and biological weapons of some sort within 45 minutes;
	(6)  on which parts of the Joint Intelligence Committee assessments from or prior to March 2002 his statement on 3 March 2002 that Iraq was trying to accumulate weapons of mass destruction was based;
	(7)  on which parts of the Joint Intelligence Committee assessments from or prior to March 2002 his statement on 11 March 2002 that there was a threat from Saddam Hussein was based;
	(8)  on which parts of the Joint Intelligence Committee assessments from or prior to March 2002 his statement on 11 March 2002 that there was no doubt at all that Saddam Hussein had acquired weapons of mass destruction was based;
	(9)  on which parts of the Joint Intelligence Committee assessments from or prior to April 2002 his statement on 3 April 2002 that Iraq had stockpiles of major amounts of chemical and biological weapons was based;
	(10)  whether Joint Intelligence Committee assessments from March and April 2002 made definitive claims on the (a) existence of stockpiles of weapons and (b) development of weapons with regard to Iraq;
	(11)  what assessments were provided to him before or during March 2003 from UNMOVIC which suggested that Iraq had far-reaching plans to weaponise VX after 1991;
	(12)  what intelligence assessment was available to him on (a) 30 May 2003 and (b) 2 June 2003 which indicated that trailers found in Iraq were used for the production of biological weapons;
	(13)  when he was informed of the content of the overall summary provided by the Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC to the Security Council on 7 March 2003 regarding the extent of Iraq's co-operation with the UN inspectors;
	(14)  when he was informed that UNMOVIC had been able to obtain information on Iraq's past mycotoxin programme;
	(15)  whether the UNMOVIC Clusters document of March 2003 suggested that Iraq had far-reaching plans to weaponise VX in any period after 1991;
	(16)  what assessment was made of the possibility that stocks of growth media which UNSCOM had reported as still unaccounted for in its final substantive report of January 1999 still existed;
	(17)  at what point he became aware (a) that the Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC had told the Security Council that Iraqi scientists had agreed to be interviewed in private and (b) that the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency had been successful in conducting interviews with Iraqi scientists in private;
	(18)  when he became aware of the contents of the Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC's briefing to the Security Council of 14 February 2003 which stated that the Government of Iraq had encouraged interviewees not to request the presence of Iraqi officials nor to require interviews to be taped;
	(19)  when he became aware that UN weapons inspectors had confirmed that evidence had been provided for the prior destruction of chemical and biological warfare agents in (a) November 2002, (b) December 2002 and (c) February 2003;
	(20)  which parts of the Joint Intelligence Committee intelligence assessments led him to state on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 11, that Iraq posed a threat to the wider world;
	(21)  when British intelligence experts investigated the two trailers found in Iraq;
	(22)  when intelligence findings were circulated regarding the two trailers found in Iraq;
	(23)  when weapons inspectors found live anthrax in Iraq as referred to in his article in the Independent on Sunday of 2 March 2003; and what evidence he had to confirm that discovery;
	(24)  when he was informed that the factory at which anthrax had been produced before 1991 to which he refers in his article in the Independent on Sunday of 2 March 2003 had been under UN monitoring since October 1991;
	(25)  whether, prior to the war, Iraq's intention to use nuclear, biological and chemical weapons outside its borders, either by the Iraqi armed forces or through the supply of such weapons to non-state actors, prior to any military attack, had been investigated by the British intelligence service;
	(26)  what assessment he made of whether to inform Parliament prior to March 2003 of Hans Blix's report to the Security Council of 14 February 2003, on access to Iraqi sites;
	(27)  when he became aware of Hans Blix's report to the UN Security Council on 14 February 2003 on access to Iraqi sites;
	(28)  pursuant to paragraph 405 of the Butler Report, when he became aware that in July 2003 the Special Intelligence Service had withdrawn two reports from a new source on trial because the source had by then been discredited;
	(29)  when he became aware of UNMOVIC's conclusions on (a) the fate of the castor oil extraction plant at Fallujah III in 1998 and (b) the extent of production of castor oil in July 2001;
	(30)  when he became aware of UNMOVIC's conclusions on the operability of the chlorine plant at Fallujah II, following visits between 9 December 2002 and 2 March 2003;
	(31)  when he became aware of the extent to which UNMOVIC has visited the Fallujah II plant between 9 December 2002 and 2 March 2003;
	(32)  what intelligence material was available to him to cast doubt upon Dr. Blix's statement on the usefulness of the Iraqi declaration of 8 December 2002;
	(33)  how many days it took the Defence Intelligence Staff to complete their initial assessment of the 12,000 page Iraqi declaration of 8 December 2002;
	(34)  whether he was aware that drafted statements which conveyed that Iraq would only be likely to use chemical and biological weapons during an invasion were removed from the September 2002 dossier;
	(35)  on what evidence he based his claims in the September dossier that the production of nitric acid in the al-Sharqat complex was being used for the purification of uranium;
	(36)  what assessment he made of the report by the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency to the Security Council on 7 March 2003 on whether there was an indication of resumed nuclear activity in Iraq;
	(37)  when he became aware of the views of the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency on the level of nuclear activity in any of the sites inspected as passed to the Security Council on 7 March 2003;
	(38)  when he was made aware that the statements in the September dossier on Iraq about mobile biological laboratories were based upon evidence from one defector;
	(39)  when he became aware of the results of the findings by UNMOVIC following examination of the sites named in the September dossier, with regard to nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programmes;
	(40)  pursuant to paragraph 403 of the Butler Report, when he became aware that the Secret Intelligence Service had raised serious doubts about the reliability of reporting of the sub-source who provided information about Iraqi chemical and biological programmes and intentions;
	(41)  on what evidence he based his statement on 2 June 2003 that he stood by the evidence presented to the public on Iraq's weapons programme;
	(42)  on what grounds he based his statement to the Liaison Committee on 8 July 2003 that he stood by the evidence put forward in the September dossier;
	(43)  on what evidence he based his views, expressed to journalists in his monthly press conference on 30 July 2003, that he believed the intelligence he had received prior to the war regarding Iraq was correct;
	(44)  whether he was aware on 25 January that MI6 had withdrawn key reports on Iraq's weapons;
	(45)  on what evidence he based his statement in an interview with The Observer on 25 January that he believed that the intelligence regarding Iraq was correct;
	(46)  when he became aware that Hussein Kamel had claimed in 1995 that there were no remaining stockpiles of agents in Iraq;
	(47)  at what point he became aware that the interim report of the Iraqi Survey Group published on 2 October 2003 had not come to a conclusion regarding the purpose of the clandestine laboratories and safe houses within the Iraqi Intelligence Service;
	(48)  when he became aware that an e-mail had been sent from the then chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee to the head of the Iraq Survey Group (ISG), with suggestions for the ISG report;
	(49)  pursuant to Joint Intelligence Committee assessments, when he became aware that British Intelligence assessments prior to March 2003 stated that a collapse of the Iraqi regime would increase the risk of chemical and biological warfare technology or agents finding their way into the hands of terrorists;
	(50)  whether there was an assessment of the validity of the material in the dossier of September 2002 between November 2002 and March 2003;
	(51)  pursuant to the inter-departmental advice available to Ministers in early March 2002, what intelligence assessments were available to him in (a) April 2002 and (b) September 2002 that showed that Iraq posed a threat not just to its neighbours but to the wider world;
	(52)  whether intelligence assessments relating to Iraq in 2002 and 2003 made reference to an intention by Iraq to use nuclear, biological and chemical weapons outside its borders (a) by the Iraqi armed forces and (b) through the supply of such weapons to non-state actors even if Iraq itself was not attacked;
	(53)  whether, prior to the war on Iraq, intelligence assessments confirming Iraq's intention to use nuclear, biological and chemical weapons existed that did not relate to Iraq's likely response if it were invaded;
	(54)  whether any Joint Intelligence Committee assessments prior to March 2003 asserted that Iraq had the intention to use nuclear, biological and chemical weapons outside its borders, with the exception of the circumstance of a US-led attack;
	(55)  prior to March 2003 and pursuant to the Joint Intelligence Committee assessment of 9 September 2002, what assessment the British intelligence service made of the possibility of Iraq threatening to use weapons of mass destruction against other states other than in the context of a US-led invasion;
	(56)  what assessments were made by the British intelligence services of whether Iraq sought nuclear, biological and chemical weapons for the purpose of external aggression;
	(57)  pursuant to his statement at the TUC conference on 10 September 2002, whether assessments had been made of the possibility that stocks of growth media that UNSCOM had reported as still unaccounted for in its final substantive report of January 1999 no longer existed in usable form;
	(58)  pursuant to his speech at the Azores summit on 16 March 2003, when he was informed that UN weapons inspectors had confirmed that evidence had been provided for the prior destruction of chemical and biological warfare agents in (a) November 2002, (b) December 2002, (c) February 2003 and (d) March 2003;
	(59)  when he was informed that assessments were available before March 2003 which demonstrated that there was a distinction between the materials that UNMOVIC found to be unaccounted for and what was known to exist in Iraq;
	(60)  what part of the Joint Intelligence Committee intelligence assessments led him to state on 3 September 2002 that Iraq posed a threat to the security of the world;
	(61)  on what evidence it was stated in the September dossier that Iraq was conducting an illicit chemical weapons programme at the Fallujah II plant;
	(62)  pursuant to his statement of 18 March 2003, Official Report, columns 76074, on Iraq, with particular reference to the Iraqi declaration of 8 December 2002, whether he made an assessment of the merits of requesting that Defence Intelligence staff make a full assessment on the Iraqi declaration before making further comment upon it;
	(63)  whether the new sub-source referred to in paragraph 403 of the Butler Report was the source for the claim made in the September 2002 dossier that Iraq's weapons of mass destruction could be deployed in 45 minutes.

Tony Blair: These matters have been examined during the course of the Butler Review and other inquiries, and covered during debates and statements on Iraq and in briefings by my Official Spokesman. All relevant information has been placed in the public domain insofar as that could be done without prejudicing national security.